New details emerge about the shooting that rocked the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton. The attacker, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31 years old from Torrance, California, is a teacher. The New York Post reports it. The man will appear in court for the first time on Monday in the US capital.
Who is Cole Tomas Allen
Allen is 31 years old, lives in Torrence, a suburb of Los Angeles, is an engineer by training, works as a teacher and is a video game developer in Southern California. A LinkedIn profile matching his name and photo describes him as a part-time teacher at C2 Education, a test prep and tutoring company. C2 had named Allen “Teacher of the Month” for December 2024, according to the company’s social media. Also based on information from his LinkedIn profile, Allen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 and earned a master’s degree in computer science from California State University-Dominguez Hills last year. According to Federal Election Commission records, Allen donated $25 to Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign in October 2024.
The suspects
According to federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro, the suspect will be charged with using a firearm during a violent crime and assaulting a federal agent with a dangerous weapon. Allen, who stormed the gala attended by President Donald Trump, engaged in a firefight with Secret Service agents without being hit.
The panic in the ballroom and the evacuation
The big band music suddenly stopped and silence took over the party. Among evening gowns and tuxedos, guests remained motionless as officers moved between tables and over people lying on the floor in the huge hotel room, the same place where President Ronald Reagan survived an assassination attempt in 1981.
“Shooting upstairs,” Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is heard saying as he is evacuated. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963, also quickly leaves the room.
Shortly afterwards, Trump took to social media to send a message of thanks to the secret services and security forces for “the incredible work done”, also expressing gratitude to first lady Melania Trump “for her courage and patience”. The president then announces a press conference and the desire to reorganize the gala.
Trump’s story and the accusations
In front of the journalists, still in his tuxedo, Trump recounts the excited moments: “At the moment of the explosion I didn’t understand if it was a falling tray or a bullet.” Then the forced evacuation: «I did everything I could to avoid having to leave the room, but the service men told me: “please, sir”. It’s the protocol.”
Of the suspect, the president states: «He is sick, very sick. They tell me he’s a lone wolf.” And, referring to the climate of recent years, he adds: “I’m not worried about myself, but about the country.”
Trump concludes with a political message: “What happened will not stop me from winning the war in Iran.”
International reactions
Messages of solidarity arrive from abroad. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was “relieved” that the president and first lady were unharmed, stressing that “political violence has no place in any democracy.”
The position of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is similar, who defined the incident as “disturbing” and said he was “deeply shocked”, while expressing relief for the safety of Trump and the others present.
Meanwhile, the FBI and the Washington authorities are continuing their investigations to clarify how the 31-year-old managed to gain armed access to an armored event, with the presence of the President of the United States and numerous members of the government.