The 31-year-old suspect in the shooting outside the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is a Caltech grad who recently won a “teacher of the month” award.
Cole Allen, of Torrance, Calif., has been identified as the man suspected of opening fire Saturday night near the ballroom where President Trump in attendance, according to two law-enforcement officials briefed on the investigation. Allen was armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives and was a guest at the Washington Hilton where the dinner was taking place, police said. One law-enforcement officer was wounded in the attack.
Police haven’t shared a motive or target, but they said they believe he was working alone. Trump called the shooter a “lone wolf’ and a “whack job” at a press conference shortly after the attack.
Allen graduated from Caltech, one of the most academically rigorous schools in America, in 2017 with a degree in mechanical engineering, according to the school and the commencement program.
George Daghlian, who was in the Caltech Christian Fellowship club with Allen, was shaken by the news when reached by The Wall Street Journal on Saturday night.
“I’m in shock,” Daghlian said. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”
Allen was registered as having no party preference, according to voting records. He donated $25 to ActBlue in 2024 with the memo “Earmarked for Harris for President,” according to Federal Election Commission filings.
Allen worked as a teacher at C2 Education, a private tutoring and test-prep company, where he was named teacher of the month in December of 2024, according to a LinkedIn post by the company that included the hashtag #InspiringEducators.
He also pursued a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills. He posted a photo of himself in cap and gown last year on LinkedIn, writing “*Pretty* sure my Master’s in CS is done!” He graduated in 2025, according to the commencement program.
Allen lives in Torrance, about 15 miles from downtown Los Angeles, in a middle-class neighborhood primarily composed of single-level ranch-style homes. A blue scooter was parked on the lawn, and a neighbor said he’d seen Allen riding it around the neighborhood. Allen is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. He is being charged with two counts—using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on federal officers using a dangerous weapon. On Saturday night, he was being evaluated at a hospital.
Write to Zusha Elinson at zusha.elinson@wsj.com
