White House Correspondents' Dinner incident suspect as 31-year-old teacher

The individual accused of discharging a weapon during the White House Correspondents' Dinner is now known.

Authorities involved in the investigation have named Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, as the man armed and apprehended after injuring a Secret Service member, as reported by Reuters, The New York Times, and CNN.

A LinkedIn profile bearing Allen's name and image describes him as a "mechanical engineer and computer scientist by study, independent game developer by experience, and a teacher by nature," according to those media outlets.

He earned his bachelor's in mechanical engineering in 2017 from the California Institute of Technology, and later a master's degree in computer science in 2025 from California State University at Dominguez Hills, as stated on his LinkedIn.

The suspect's LinkedIn account lists him as a part-time educator at C2 Education, a private tutoring and test prep company, while also being an independent game developer.

C2 Education named Allen as "teacher of the month" in a LinkedIn post in December 2024.

The suspect faces accusations of two counts of using a firearm in committing violence and assaulting federal officers, the BBC reported, quoting Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for Washington.

On social media, President Donald Trump stated on Saturday (April 25), that Secret Service and law enforcement detained the suspect after the security issue at the yearly dinner at the Washington Hilton, D.C., earlier that night.

"A noteworthy evening in D.C.," Trump, 79, posted on Truth Social. "Secret Service and law enforcement displayed remarkable skill. They were swift and courageous."

"The shooter has been captured, and I have advocated for the evening to proceed, albeit governed by law enforcement," the president remarked. "They will soon decide. Irrespective of the outcome, we will have to adjust our plans significantly."

In another Truth Social message, Trump informed: "Law Enforcement requested an evacuation, which we will carry out immediately. I plan to hold a news briefing in half an hour from the White House Press Briefing Room. The First Lady, Vice President, and all Cabinet members are unharmed and will join the conference. We are coordinating with event officials to reschedule within a month."

Event recordings captured Secret Service agents exiting the ballroom with Trump shortly after the dinner commenced.

Other distinguished figures, including First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, were also seen exiting the ballroom.

As per CNN, Trump was safely removed, and so were all attending Cabinet members.