Who is Cole Thomas Allen who tried to assassinate Trump and his wife during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner?
More information is gradually emerging about Cole Thomas Allen, the suspect in the shooting during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC, where President Donald Trump and several senior officials from his administration were participating in the event.
A video later posted by Trump on social media showed a man rushing down a hotel corridor, past Secret Service agents, before they were able to subdue and arrest him.
One agent was shot in the chest during the incident; Trump also posted a photo he claimed was of the suspect, showing him shirtless, lying on the floor, and handcuffed.
Allen is 31 years old, from Torrance, Florida, and was staying at the hotel where the incident occurred.
According to the Los Angeles Times, he graduated in 2017 from the California Institute of Technology with a degree in mechanical engineering.
His picture appeared in a graduation announcement posted by the institute on Facebook, wearing a wool sweater and a red tie, along with another picture from his childhood.
On a professional level, Allen worked as a part-time teacher, and on his LinkedIn page, before access to it was recently restricted, he stated that he was named “Teacher of the Month” in December 2024 by C2 Education, an organization specializing in college entrance exam preparation, tutoring, and academic consulting.
He also earned a master’s degree in computer science from California State University Dominguez Hills in 2025, and described himself as a game developer, engineer, and educator, adding that he has been working as an independent game developer since 2018.
His election records show that he is registered as an independent voter, although preliminary reports indicated that in October 2024, he donated $25 to ActBlue, a political action committee that raises funds for the Democratic Party, with the money earmarked to support Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign, according to Federal Election Commission data.
According to The New York Times, Allen lived in a modest two-story house in a Los Angeles suburb, and his neighbors reported that he used a blue motorcycle for transportation.
The New York Times quoted one neighbor, James Costello, who had only a superficial acquaintance with the family, as saying that the neighborhood was quiet and home to many retired Los Angeles police officers.
In a related development, the Los Angeles Times reported that when someone knocked on the door, a person inside the house declined to comment, saying, “Not now”.
Another neighbor, said the current residents had moved in only about six months prior.
A third neighbor, who preferred to remain anonymous, described the family as very friendly, adding, “We see them every day and exchange greetings… They are very kind and peaceful people, and they greet you when they see you.”
Washington Police Chief Jeff Carroll said during a press conference that Allen was staying at the hotel and was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and several knives.
He explained that at approximately 8:36 pm (US Eastern Time), Allen stormed through a Secret Service checkpoint in the hotel lobby before agents intervened and stopped him.
He added, “One Secret Service agent was shot in the chest and transported to a local hospital for treatment… He appears to be in stable condition”.
He noted that the suspect wasn’t shot, but was also taken to the hospital for examination and evaluation.
He confirmed that there is no reason to believe there were any other individuals involved in the incident.
Legally, Washington State Attorney General Jane Ferris Pirro announced that Allen faces two charges: the first under Section 924(c) related to the use of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, and the second under Section 111 related to assaulting a federal employee with a dangerous weapon.
