Latest on Cole Tomas Allen the suspect in the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting; details on LinkedIn profile, CalTech degree and more

A 31-year-old California man, Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, has been identified by law enforcement officials as the suspect in a shooting incident during the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) Dinner in Washington, DC, late Saturday, according to Reuters.

Officials from the United States Secret Service and the Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that Allen was taken into custody after opening fire with a shotgun at a Secret Service agent inside the Washington Hilton, where the annual dinner was taking place.

What do we know about the suspect?

Multiple national news organizations, citing law enforcement officials, have identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, a resident of Torrance, California, a coastal city in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County along Santa Monica Bay.

According to the District of Columbia police chief, investigators believe Allen was a registered guest at the Washington Hilton hotel at the time of the incident. Authorities have said no motive has yet been determined.

The Secret Service stated that the suspect opened fire outside the ballroom area where President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and several cabinet secretaries were present for the dinner. Protectees were immediately secured as a precaution.

Allen was armed with a shotgun and was subdued and detained at the scene.

Background emerging from social media and professional profiles

Law enforcement officials told Reuters that social media accounts and professional profiles appearing to belong to Allen suggest he has an academic and technical background.

A LinkedIn profile in his name describes him as a “mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth.” The profile states that he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 2017. Caltech confirmed to Reuters that a person by that name graduated that year.

The same profile indicates he completed a master’s degree in computer science from California State University Dominguez Hills in 2025.

Under professional experience, the profile lists Allen as having worked for several years as a part-time teacher at C2 Education, a private tutoring and test-preparation service for college-bound students. Facebook posts appearing to relate to Allen show he was named “Teacher of the Month” in December 2024 by the Torrance office of C2 Education.

The profile also notes that he previously worked as a mechanical engineer for a South Pasadena firm called IJK Controls and had served as a teaching assistant at Caltech. It includes reference to a local newspaper article about a robotics competition his team won at Caltech in 2016. Under “Causes,” the only interest listed is “Science and Technology.”

Investigation ongoing

Authorities have said Allen was not previously known to police. Investigators are continuing to examine how he was able to access the secured hotel premises with a weapon and what may have led to the shooting.

No injuries among WHCA dinner attendees were reported. Law enforcement officials said there is no ongoing threat to the public as the investigation continues.