"Lone wolf", teacher, video game developer... Who is Cole Allen, the suspect arrested for shooting at the exchange students' dinner?

An FBI tactical team preparing to enter a house linked to the suspected White House Correspondents' Dinner shooter in Torrance, California.

The assailant, who was arrested before he could enter the hotel room where the White House Correspondents' Dinner was taking place, had booked a room. This California-born engineer also worked for a tutoring company.

“A lone wolf,” “a nutcase”: these are the terms Donald Trump used to describe the suspected gunman who opened fire at the gala dinner held at the luxury Washington hotel, even before the investigation began. The US president shared photos of the man, shirtless and handcuffed, his face turned toward the floor, in what appears to be the Hilton lobby.

A man in his thirties from California

While authorities have not yet publicly confirmed his identity, US media outlets have reported that he is a 31-year-old man, Cole Tomas Allen, from Torrance, California. FBI agents were seen outside a residence in that city late Saturday night. "We are already searching his apartment right now," the US president stated.

Media outlets traveled to Torrance, in South Los Angeles, to an address where Cole Allen lives. Police helicopters circled overhead, and the street was cordoned off by law enforcement. American journalists described a modest, two-story detached house.

"A gentle person," "super stable"

A neighbor told CNN he saw Allen on the property "a few days ago." According to NBC News, Allen attended Pacific Lutheran High School in suburban Los Angeles and was on the volleyball team. A former teammate described him as "almost a genius" and "super stable." "Other people study a lot. He didn't need to study. It just came naturally to him. He was really, really smart," the former teammate told NBC. He was also described as a "sweet person."

The LinkedIn profile of "Cole Allen," whose photo appears to match those of the images released by Donald Trump, describes him as "a mechanical and computer engineer by training, an independent game developer by experience, and a teacher by birth."

In one of the photos posted by the suspect, he is seen in graduation attire. He claims to have earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 2017 from the California Institute of Technology and a master's degree in computer science from California State University in 2025. The university issued a statement Saturday evening, confirming that Cole Allen had been a student there, but stating that it could not "confirm whether this is the same suspect identified in the April 25 shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner." The university "unequivocally condemns this act of violence, as well as all forms of violence," the statement added.

Academic support, exam preparation

After several experiences as an engineer, Cole Allen states on LinkedIn that he has been working for C2 Education, a tutoring and exam preparation company, since 2020. According to posts on their social media, Cole Allen won the title of "Teacher of the Month" in December 2024.

An armed individual was arrested after attempting to enter the White House Correspondents' Dinner attended by the US president.

The only suspect, probably a hotel guest

Based on preliminary information, "we believe he was one of the hotel's guests," said Metropolitan Police Department Acting Chief Jeffery Carroll. The man arrested is considered the sole suspect in the case, officials said.

He currently faces two charges: use of a firearm during a violent crime, and assaulting a federal agent with a dangerous weapon, stated Federal Prosecutor Jeanine Pirro. Additional charges may be laid as the investigation progresses.

According to police, the suspected assailant was carrying two firearms and numerous knives, but did not have time to reach the dinner party venue and did not injure anyone. He himself was unharmed during his arrest.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the suspected shooter was registered to vote without party affiliation. Federal Election Commission records indicate that a man named Cole Allen, identified as a teacher at C2 Education in Torrance, donated $25 to a fundraising group for Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee who lost to Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.