Web Desk
April 27, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The suspect who opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday night has been identified as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old teacher from Torrance, California.
According to US media reports, Allen was apprehended at the scene after allegedly discharging a shotgun at a Secret Service agent at a security checkpoint inside the Washington Hilton hotel. One agent was struck in the chest but was saved by his bulletproof vest and has since been released from the hospital.
Suspect ‘Wanted to Target Administration Officials’
Allen told authorities that he intended to target officials within the Trump administration, CBS News reported. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed that the suspect had traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington, where he was a guest at the hotel.
Blanche told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that “it does appear that he, in fact, had set out to target folks that work in the administration, likely including the president”.
The suspect is expected to be formally charged on Monday, April 27, 2026. He faces federal charges including assault at a federal officer, discharging a firearm, and attempting to kill a federal officer.
Weapons and Manifesto
Washington’s interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said the suspect was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives. Allen is believed to have acted alone, with officials describing him as a “lone wolf”.
According to the Mirror and other outlets, Allen sent a chilling 1,052-word manifesto to family members just 10 minutes before the attack . He referred to himself as “Cole ‘coldForce’ ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ Allen” and listed “administration officials” as his primary targets.
President Trump told Fox News the manifesto was “anti-Christian,” adding that the shooter “had a lot of hatred in his heart for quite a while”.
‘Teacher of the Month’ with Caltech Degree
Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 2017 and a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills in 2025.
He worked as a part-time teacher for C2 Education, a nationwide tutoring service, where he was named “Teacher of the Month” in December 2024. He also worked as a self-employed independent game developer.
Interim police chief Jeffery Carroll confirmed that investigators believe Allen was a guest at the Washington Hilton hotel, raising questions about how he was able to bring multiple weapons past security. The focus of the investigation includes examining how the shotgun was smuggled into the venue.
Donald Trump Open to Deal With Iran’s Current Leadership
Authorities are still investigating whether the suspect had any connection to Iran, but acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said he did not yet know if there was an Iran link to the attack. Trump himself stated he did not believe the shooting had anything to do with Iran.