Cole Tomas Allen: Six-Year College Guidance Professional Based in Torrance, California

A man identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, was taken into custody after gunfire erupted at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, April 25, 2026, according to law enforcement sources cited by multiple news outlets.

Allen was identified by the Associated Press and confirmed by law enforcement officials speaking to The Los Angeles Times as the suspect in the shooting incident that occurred during the annual event in Washington, D.C. Authorities reported that he was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives when he approached the dining area.

One hotel security guard observed the individual with a firearm before he was met with gunfire from law enforcement. A Secret Service officer wearing a bulletproof vest was struck and taken to a hospital, where he is expected to recover. President Donald Trump was rushed from the stage during the incident and later told reporters that the injured officer was “doing great.”

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced that Allen is being charged with two counts of using a firearm and one count of assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive for the attack, and the FBI and Secret Service continue to investigate.

Allen, a former tutoring teacher and educator at C2 Education in Torrance, reportedly received a “Teacher of the Month” award in December 2024. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology, earned in 2017, and a master’s degree in computer science from California State University-Dominguez Hills, completed in May 2025.

Bin Tang, a computer science professor at Cal State Dominguez Hills, told the Associated Press that Allen was a standout student who consistently sat in the front row, asked thoughtful questions, and communicated professionally via email. “He was a very good student always sitting in the first row of my class, paying attention, and frequently emailing me with coursework questions. Soft spoken, very polite, a good fellow. I am very shocked to see the news,” Tang wrote in an email.

During his time at Caltech, Allen was involved in a Christian student fellowship and a campus group that participated in Nerf gun activities. A local ABC station in Los Angeles previously featured him in a segment about emerging technologies for aging populations, during which he demonstrated a prototype emergency brake for wheelchairs he had developed.

Federal campaign finance records show that Allen contributed $25 to a political action committee supporting Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential bid. Voter records indicate he has no party preference, though some early reports incorrectly labeled him as a registered Democrat.

Following the incident, President Trump referred to Allen as a “sick person” from California and confirmed that federal agents were dispatched to his residence in Torrance as part of the ongoing investigation. Allen remains in custody, and authorities have not released further details about his background or potential motivations.