Who is Cole Tomas Allen? 'Evil' teacher who stormed White House dinner

Alice Tomlinson
Sun, 26 Apr 2026 06:42:13 +0000

The teacher who opened fire at the Washington hotel whilst United States President Donald Trump hosted a dinner has been named.

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance in California, was captured by the authorities after opening fire at the annual correspondants meal and is currently in custody.

The suspected shooter stormed a security checkpoint at the hotel, where US politicians, officials and journalists were attending the White House Correspondents' Association dinner - Mr Trump later described it as "not a particularly secure building".

Armed with multiple weapons – a shotgun, handgun and knives - the shooter exchanged gunfire with a Secret Service Uniformed Division officer, shooting the security personnel's bulletproof vest.

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He was tackled to the ground and handcuffed and taken into custody.

The authorities believe he was a "lone actor", DC police chief Jeffrey Carroll said, with the US President describing him as a "lone wolf whack job" who "looked evil" and would spend "life in prison".

Allen has no prior convictions and was not previously on US law enforcement's watchlist.

His motive remains unclear.

Recently awarded "teacher of the month", the shooter's work history includes a teaching assistant at the California Institute of Technology and a mechanical engineer.

He attended the Pacific Lutheran High School in Gardena, California, where he played on the volleyball team and was described by a former high school teammate as a "borderline genius" and "super stable".

The teammate, who spoke anonymously to NBC News, said Allen was noticeably intelligent: "Other people study hard. He didn't have to study. It would just come to him. He was really, really smart."

They summarised that Allen as someone who was "really knowledgeable, really curious" across the board.

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They also expressed disbelief at Allen's alleged involvement in the shooting, noting he had been a "gentle" presence at school.

"He was probably the most gentle person on the team, which makes it even more shocking that he did this," they said.

Allen is also described as a self-employed "indie game developer" by US media, calling his creations "Bohrdom" and "First Law".

The only political activity known of him is he made a single $25 donation to Kamala Harris's presidential campaign in 2024.

Allen has a degree in computer science from California State University and was listed among graduates in the institution's May 2025 commencement programme.

In 2014 he participated in a summer undergraduate research fellowship at NASA's Jet Propulsion laboratory.

The FBI are now searching Allen's home in Torrance, California - a city of roughly 140,000 residents, southwest of downtown Los Angeles.

Allen has been charged with two counts of "using a firearm during a crime of violence" and "assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon", US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro confirmed.

She added that "many more charges" are expected to be filed against him.

Allen is scheduled to be arraigned in court tomorrow.