US law enforcement has identified the suspected attacker who opened fire during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where several journalists were present, as well as President Donald Trump and several members of his staff. This is Cole Tomas Allen, 31 years old, from Torrance, California. Investigators recovered an identity document after blocking it: the engineer and teacher will have to appear in court tomorrow, Monday 27 April.
Who is Cole Tomas Allen
According to the first information released by the US media, Allen is originally from the small suburb of Los Angeles and in the past there would have been no episodes that could have led to the hypothesis of such a sensational gesture. The 31-year-old is an engineer by training, works as a teacher and is also a video game developer in Southern California.
Engineer and teacher
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.
USA, attack on the media dinner with Donald Trump (Photo LaPresse)
Trump: “A sick man”
President Trump published on his Truth profile the photo of the man pinned to the ground by agents after the attack: “He is a sick person – wrote the tycoon -, he had several weapons. We don’t want things like this to happen”. According to investigators, the man acted alone, but there are still many points to be clarified.
The investigation
FBI Director Kash Patel asked citizens to share any information relating to the attack: “No detail is too insignificant, no information is inadequate. We will evaluate everything. We will also interview the people present and, if any of them have useful information, please contact law enforcement: the FBI and the Metropolitan Police Department.” Investigators are examining ballistics and a firearm found at the scene, while “digging” into the suspect’s past in search of a motive.