WASHINGTON (TNND) — Authorities have identified the suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner as a 31-year-old man from Southern California.
Law enforcement officials say Cole Thomas Allen, of Torrance, California, was taken into custody after allegedly opening fire Saturday night at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the annual event was being held.
Investigators say the suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner may have been targeting members of the Trump administration and is believed to have planned the attack, according to new details from the White House.
Officials say the suspect wrote a manifesto that stated he intended to target members of the Trump administration. The document was reportedly sent to family members shortly before the incident.
President Donald Trump said Sunday that writings found by authorities suggest the suspect intended to go after administration officials. He also said the suspect’s family had previously raised concerns about him to police.
According to the White House, Allen’s brother contacted police in New London, Connecticut, after receiving the message. Officials say the family alerted authorities just minutes before the shooting took place.
Witnesses reported hearing five to eight shots as panic spread through the ballroom. Several Secret Service agents were heard shouting, “Shots fired.”
At approximately 8:36 p.m., the suspect, working alone, armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives, charged into the hotel lobby area and attempted to breach a Secret Service checkpoint, according to law enforcement.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were safely evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner after the suspect rushed the Secret Service checkpoint inside the Washington Hilton, officials said.
Officials say he exchanged gunfire with law enforcement and was quickly subdued and taken into custody.
A Secret Service agent was struck in a bulletproof vest but is expected to recover. The suspect was not injured.
Members of the National Guard were deployed inside the venue as attendees were evacuated and not allowed to re-enter.
During a late-night news conference, officials said the suspect is believed to have been a guest at the Washington Hilton, where the event was taking place. “Preliminary information, we do believe he was a guest here at the hotel,” Carroll said. “We have secured a room here in the hotel, and we’ll go through the appropriate procedures to determine what was inside there.”
The suspect was transported to a local hospital for evaluation and was not struck by gunfire.
“He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the vest did the job,” Trump told reporters in the White House Briefing Room. “I just spoke to the officer — he’s in great shape, very high spirits.”
Photos shared on Trump’s Truth Social account showed the suspect lying face down on the carpet surrounded by agents after being taken into custody.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran said his agents “performed admirably,” crediting their rapid response in stopping the suspect at the checkpoint. “We got to see what they do, and that individual, when he charged a checkpoint, was apprehended,” Curran said. “It shows that our multi-layered protection works.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said investigators are examining ballistics, a recovered long gun, and shell casings, and conducting witness interviews. He urged the public to submit any information, saying, “No piece of information is too small.”
The event was attended by President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and all cabinet members, along with journalists, lawmakers, and public figures.
Video from inside the ballroom captured the moment when loud bangs were heard, prompting security to move quickly to escort the president and other officials to safety.
Trump described what he experienced during the incident, saying he initially thought the sound was unrelated before realizing something was wrong. “I heard a noise and sort of thought it was a tray going down,” he said. “It was a gun. It was pretty far away, but it was a gun.” He added that the Secret Service moved “very quickly” and evacuated him and the First Lady within seconds.
The event is expected to be rescheduled within 30 days, according to Trump.
Officials say Allen had no known criminal record and was not previously on law enforcement’s radar.
Online records from LinkedIn indicate he graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 with a degree in mechanical engineering and later earned a master’s degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills, in computer science in 2025.
According to his LinkedIn, he worked as an engineer before becoming an independent game developer and part-time teacher.
Federal officials say the suspect traveled across the country in the days leading up to the attack. According to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, investigators believe the suspect went from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington, D.C., traveling by train. He checked into the Washington Hilton, the site of the dinner, several days before the event.
Investigators have also spoken with the suspect’s sister at the family’s home in Rockville, Maryland.
According to officials, she told authorities her brother had a history of making extreme statements and had recently talked about plans to do “something.”
She also said Allen had purchased multiple firearms, including two handguns and a shotgun, which were stored at their parents’ home without their knowledge.
Officials say Allen regularly visited shooting ranges and had training with firearms.
Authorities also say he was connected to a group known as “The Wide Awakes” and had previously attended a protest event in California.
The White House said the suspect’s social media activity included messages critical of the Trump administration, along with other political and religious commentary.
Authorities say Allen’s motive is still unknown.
U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro said the suspect will be charged with two counts of using a firearm during a violent crime, along with a separate charge of assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. She added that additional charges are expected as the investigation continues.
Late Saturday, FBI and Secret Service agents were seen at a home in Torrance, California, believed to be connected to the suspect. Authorities say they were preparing to carry out a search warrant tied to the shooting.
Officials say the search is part of a broader effort to gather evidence and determine more details about the suspect’s actions and possible motive.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, Bill Essayli, said the FBI was prepared to serve a search warrant related to the dinner.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities working to determine a motive and whether additional charges will be filed. Allen is expected to be arraigned in court on Monday.
Editor’s Note: The National News Desk’s Alexx Altman-Devilbiss contributed to this story.
Local Story
