Cole Tomas Allen: Suspect in Trump Press Dinner Shooting
Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old computer programmer from Torrance, California, has been arrested for opening fire at the White House correspondents' dinner. US President Donald Trump was uninjured. Allen holds a master's degree in computer science from California State University-Dominguez Hills and a bachelor's in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena. He listed involvement in a Christian student fellowship and a Nerf gun group at Caltech. A 2017 interview with a local ABC station in Los Angeles featured Allen discussing his prototype for an emergency brake for wheelchairs. Federal campaign finance records show he contributed $25 to a Democratic Party PAC supporting Kamala Harris's 2024 presidential campaign. Social media profiles matching Allen depict him as a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer.
Key facts
- Cole Tomas Allen is accused of opening fire at the White House correspondents' dinner.
- The shooting occurred on Saturday, and Trump was uninjured.
- Allen is a 31-year-old computer programmer from Torrance, California.
- He earned a master's degree in computer science from California State University-Dominguez Hills.
- He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Caltech in 2017.
- At Caltech, he was involved in a Christian student fellowship and a Nerf gun group.
- In 2017, he was interviewed by a local ABC station about a wheelchair emergency brake prototype.
- He contributed $25 to a Democratic PAC supporting Kamala Harris in 2024.
Entities
Institutions
- California State University-Dominguez Hills
- California Institute of Technology
- ABC
- Democratic Party
- White House
Locations
- Torrance
- California
- United States
- Pasadena
- Los Angeles