Cole Thomas Allan (also reported as Cole Tomas Allen) is a 31‑year‑old California man identified by law enforcement as the suspect in the April 25, 2026, shooting near the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Aged 31 years, Allen is a long-term resident of Torrance, California (Los Angeles County).

Education: Teacher of the Month

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Caltech (2017)

M.S. Computer Science, CSU Dominguez Hills (2025)

Career: Part‑time tutor/instructor at C2 Education; named Teacher of the Month in December 2024

Independent video‑game developer, including a chemistry‑based game on Steam, and working on a top‑down space shooter.

Former mechanical engineer at IJK Controls and Caltech teaching assistant

What happened

Allen was identified as the suspect in a shooting outside the Washington Hilton during the April 25, 2026, WHCA Dinner attended by President Donald Trump, the First Lady, and senior officials.

Armed to the teeth, he was carrying a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives.

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Law enforcement and Secret Service exchanged gunfire with him; one officer was hit but protected by a ballistic vest. Allen was taken into custody and transported to a hospital.

Investigators currently believe he acted alone, and no motive has been determined.

His online profiles describe him as a ‘mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, and teacher by birth.’

“Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job. They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended,” Trump later wrote on Truth Social, adding that the first lady, the vice president, and all Cabinet members were “in perfect condition.”

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