Cole Tomas Allen, 31, has been named by several officials as the man apprehended by law enforcement as he tried to storm through a security screening point at the black-tie event at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.
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He is expected to face charges on Monday, including using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon, according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro.
Allen lives in Torrance, California, a suburban city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area with a population of around 143,000. Torrance’s mayor, George Chen, released a statement on social media late Saturday night in response to the reports naming Allen, saying that “one individual’s alleged actions do not define our city.”
The profile shows he was a part-time teacher at C2 Education, which specializes in college test preparation and college counseling, for over six years. A Facebook post from December 2024 seems to show Allen winning “Teacher of the Month” at C2’s Torrance office.
What was a potential motive?
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told NBC News on Sunday that law enforcement believes that the shooter was targeting Trump Administration officials, “likely including the President."
On Fox News Sunday morning, Trump referenced an alleged “manifesto” from Allen.
“I think his sister or his brother actually was complaining about it,” Trump continued. “Even complaining to law enforcement.”
The Washington Metropolitan Police Department said that Allen was carrying a “shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives” when he stormed the checkpoint. He spent years legally acquiring an arsenal of firearms prior to the attack, according to Bloomberg, purchasing a shotgun eight months ago and a semi-automatic pistol in October 2023.
Law enforcement is searching Allen’s home in California and his hotel room in D.C., while investigating his electronics, writings and interviewing family and friends, hoping to determine a clear motive.
How the shooting unfolded
The WHCA dinner is an annual event for White House staff and the press, typically featuring comedy and a satirical speech from the president.
“A man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of the Secret Service,” Trump told a news conference at the White House shortly after the incident. He added that one law enforcement officer was injured but was in “great shape.”
Most people were inside the ballroom when the shooting took place, but CNN’s Wolf Blitzer said he was a few feet away when he witnessed a gunman fire a "very serious weapon" at least six times. He told CNN in an interview that the shooter "seemed to have gone through the metal detector, but he had a weapon and he was firing a weapon."
A TIME journalist attending the event said Secret Service agents ran through the crowd to escort Trump Administration cabinet members to safety immediately after several loud noises were heard on the ballroom floor.
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