Cole Tomas Allen, WHCD gunman suspect at White House Correspondents’ Dinner may have been targeting Trump officials, Attorney General Todd Blanche revealed including President Donald Trump during 2,500 person gala as possible motive revealed.
The gunman accused of trying to break into the ballroom at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is believed to have been targeting members of the Trump administration, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche revealed.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, a teacher from Torrance, California, was seen attempting to run past a security checkpoint while armed with a shotgun, a handgun and several knives on Saturday night.
He exchanged fire with Secret Service agents before they tackled him to the ground and arrested him. One agent was struck in his bulletproof vest and is expected to recover. No one else was harmed, CNN reported.
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Blanche said officials believe the suspect traveled by train from California to Chicago and then on to Washington. He checked into the Washington Hilton Hotel, where the dinner was being hosted, days before the event.
Evidence found on Allen’s electronic devices point towards the theory he intended to target administration members in attendance at the dinner.
‘It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,’ Blanche told NBC’s Meet the Press.
The suspect is believed to have purchased the firearms he carried within the last couple of years, Blanche said. He is not being cooperative and is expected to face multiple charges on Monday.
‘He failed,’ Blanche said. ‘Law enforcement did their jobs.’
U.S. President Donald J. Trump has released a video showing Cole Thomas Allen, a 31-year-old teacher from Torrance, California, who supported Kamala Harris, the suspected shooter at tonight’s White House Correspondents Dinner, attempting to run past law enforcement and Secret… pic.twitter.com/2dWBqanWVy
— Tony Seruga (@TonySeruga) April 26, 2026
Was President Donald Trump a target?
Allen had told law enforcement that he wanted to shoot administration officials but did not say whether he was targeting President Donald Trump or anyone particular in the administration, CBS News previously reported, citing anonymous sources.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner, an annual black-tie gala that brings politicians and journalists together, was barely underway when the Secret Service was forced to leap into action after a series of shots rang out.
Trump released surveillance footage of Allen, dressed in all black, sprinting inside the Washington Hilton Hotel with a gun in hand before he was rushed by armed guards.
Among senior Trump administration members present at the event, included, Vice President JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller.
All officials were rushed to safety.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooter was armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives, according to DC police chief Jeffrey Carroll.
The shooter was identified as 31-year-old teacher Cole Allen from Torrance, California.
The suspect emerged from a “makeshift… pic.twitter.com/aUK5m6AwCr
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 26, 2026
WHCD shooter pending charges
Federal prosecutors have announced that Allen is being charged with two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.
He is expected to be arraigned in federal court on Monday.
If convicted, Allen could face 20 years in jail for the assault, while the weapons charges come with a minimum of ten years with a possibility of life behind bars if fired.
‘It is clear, based upon what we know so far, this individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could,’ United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said.
‘There will be many more charges based upon the information that we are learning in this very fluid situation,’ she added.
Academic whizz kid
In the aftermath of Saturday’s shooting, Cops swarmed on Allen’s parents’ $877,000 home in Torrance, California.
Officials said Allen had no prior criminal record and was not previously known to law enforcement in Washington, DC.
He is one of four siblings, including two sisters, Stephanie and Arviana, and a brother, Gabriel, according to publicly available information.
Photographs circulating online showed him smiling alongside family members at graduations and gatherings.
His social media details he is highly educated and academically accomplished.
On LinkedIn, he describes himself as: ‘A mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth.’
Allen earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology and later a Master of Science in Computer Science from a California State University.
During his time at Caltech, Allen listed his involvement in the Caltech Christian Fellowship and the Caltech Nerf Club.
More recently, Allen had been working in education. In December 2024, he was named Teacher of the Month at C2 Education, a recognition typically reserved for standout instructors.
