A 31-year-old man living in the coastal city of Torrance in Los Angeles County seems, according to his social media profiles, to be a graduate of the California Institute of Technology.
The suspect arrested after the shots fired during the White House correspondents dinner on Saturday night has been identified by a US law enforcement official as Cole Tomas Allen, as noted by Reuters. Cole Thomas Allen even admitted to US authorities that he was targeting members of the Trump administration, according to CBS News.
This 31-year-old man, residing in the coastal city of Torrance in California, seems to be a graduate of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). According to his social media profiles, he had been working as a part-time teacher and video game developer until now.
Cole Thomas was reportedly designated as “teacher of the month” in December 2024 by a high school tutoring service. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Caltech in 2017, and then a master’s in computer science at California State University, Dominguez Hills in 2025, according to his LinkedIn profile.
ABC Los Angeles aired an interview with Allen during his final year of university, as part of a report on new technologies helping elderly people. He had developed a prototype emergency brake for wheelchairs.
According to some media reports including CNN, citing campaign finance records, the suspect reportedly donated $25 to the Democratic Party’s political action committee to support Kamala Harris’ presidential candidacy in 2024.
During a press conference after the incident, Donald Trump stated that he had the “impression” they were dealing with a “lone wolf” who had “many weapons” on him. He clarified that the suspect’s motive had not yet been established, but he believed the shooter was “sick.”
