What we know about the suspect in shooting at White House Correspondents’ Dinner

CBS News has learned new details about the suspect who opened fire outside the ballroom where President Trump and other top officials were attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday night. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was an educator from Torrance, California with an engineering degree from a prestigious university. He also owned two firearms, one of which was used in the shooting at the Washington Hilton Hotel, according to two law enforcement sources.

The president and first lady Melania Trump were safely evacuated from the correspondents’ dinner, and none of the attendees were seriously injured, authorities said.

A Secret Service agent was struck by at least one round, believed to have been fired by the shooter, but the agent was protected by a bulletproof vest and is expected to be OK, officials said.

The suspect, identified to CBS News by law enforcement sources, was apprehended at the scene. 

Officials have not released information on the suspect’s possible motive, but Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” Sunday morning that investigators believe he was targeting members of the Trump administration. Two sources previously told CBS News that after the suspect’s arrest, he told law enforcement that he wanted to shoot administration officials. 

What we know so far about the shooting

A total of at least five to eight gunshots were fired during the incident, two law enforcement sources told CBS News.      

In a late-night news conference, Jeff Carroll, interim chief of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, said the suspect was armed with a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives when he attempted to charge a security checkpoint outside the dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel.

President Trump posted a photo to social media showing the shirtless suspect on the floor of the hotel with his arms tied behind his back after being detained.

The suspect was not struck by gunfire, but was taken to a hospital for evaluation, Carroll said. 

He said the suspect was a guest at the hotel. Law enforcement sources told CBS News he checked in on Friday, the day before the event. They said he traveled there via train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then Chicago to D.C. 

Law enforcement sources also said investigators have retrieved his cellphone and additional electronics and are now obtaining search warrants for them. The sources said he is not cooperating but that people who knew him are speaking with investigators.

Investigators are reviewing the suspect’s writings as part of the ongoing investigation into his motive for the attack, three federal law enforcement officials told CBS News. The materials were written on paper and were found in the hotel, the officials said.

“At this point, it does appear he is a lone actor, a lone gunman,” Carroll said Saturday night, adding that the investigation is continuing.

President Trump also told reporters in a separate news conference at the White House that it was believed the suspect acted as a “lone wolf.”   

What we know about the suspect’s background

Allen — who was seen on surveillance video charging through metal detectors outside the ballroom where the dinner was taking place — had a record of firearm ownership. He purchased the shotgun used in Saturday’s shooting in August 2025, according to two law enforcement sources. He also owned another semiautomatic pistol, purchased in 2023, they said.

The suspect had lived at multiple residences in the Los Angeles area from November 2010 to March 2026, according to the sources. He spent most of those years in Torrance, but also had an address in the city of San Gabriel between early 2018 and late 2019.

Allen earned a degree in mechanical engineering at Caltech, the California Institute of Technology, in 2017, before going on to receive a master’s in computer science at California State University, Dominguez Hills, in 2025, the sources said. Caltech confirmed to CBS News in an email that Allen graduated from the university in 2017. 

A LinkedIn profile linked to suspect identifies him as a self-employed video game developer and part-time teacher.

He worked for a tutoring firm in Torrance called C2 Education, two law enforcement sources told CBS News. He received a “Teacher of the Month” award from the company in December 2024. 

It was unclear if he was still employed by the company. The Torrance Unified School District told CBS News in a statement that Allen has never been an employee of their district.

According to federal campaign finance records, Allen donated $25 to Democratic Party PAC ActBlue for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign in 2024. 

CBS News has obtained a copy of Allen’s drivers license photo, which was taken in October 2024.

Federal and local authorities were also seen late Saturday night at the suspect’s home in Torrance. At about 10:30 p.m. Pacific Time, aerial video from CBS News Los Angeles showed federal agents entering the home. 

What charges will Cole Allen face?

Allen will be charged with one count each of using a firearm during a crime of violence, and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro announced Saturday night. Pirro said she expects him to face more charges as the investigation unfolds.

“It is clear, based upon what we know so far, that this individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could,” Pirro said.

Pirro said Allen will be arraigned Monday in federal court.