Washington dinner attacker is a teacher and holds master's degree in computer science
- Last updated: April 27, 2026 | 12:45
The California man arrested in the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer opposed to the policies of President Donald Trump.
A photo of Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, posted to social media last year shows him in a cap and gown after graduating with a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills. His face appears to match the appearance of the alleged attacker taken into custody at the dinner on Saturday night in Washington that was attended by Trump and top members of his administration.
In writings sent to family members minutes before the attack, the 31-year-old described himself as "Friendly Federal Assassin” and railed against recent actions taken by the US government under Trump, though he did not name the Republican president directly, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorised to publicly discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Voter registration records from California lists Allen's home address as his parent's house on a tree-lined street in one of the most historic neighbourhoods in Torrance, a city within the Los Angeles metro area. Public records show he is the oldest of four adult siblings, with two younger sisters and a brother.
Two cars were parked in the driveway on Sunday morning. A blue scooter that a neighbour said Allen rode was on the front lawn. No one answered the door when an Associated Press reporter knocked.
Allen contributed $25 to a Democratic Party political action committee in support of Kamala Harris for president in 2024, according to federal campaign finance records. A yard sign displayed at the family home supported a local candidate for judge that was endorsed by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party.
Law enforcement officials told the AP that Cole Allen legally bought a .38-calibre semiautomatic pistol in October 2023 and a 12-gauge shotgun last year.
Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, according to his profile on the social networking site LinkedIn. He also listed his involvement there in a campus group that battled with Nerf guns and a Christian student fellowship.
The suspect's father, Thomas Allen, is listed as an elder at Grace United Reformed Church Torrance. The webpage for the congregation describes it as a "Bible-believing church” following the "infallible Word of God.” Security guards posted at the sanctuary during worship services on Sunday escorted parishioners to the door and kept reporters at bay.
'He was a very good student'
Bin Tang, a computer science professor at California State University, Dominguez Hills, told The Associated Press that Allen took a few of his classes before graduating last year.
"He was a very good student indeed, always sitting in the first row of my class, paying attention, and frequently emailing me with coursework questions. Soft-spoken, very polite, a good fellow. I am very shocked to see the news,” Tang wrote in an email.
A local ABC station in Los Angeles included an interview with Allen during his senior year of college as part of a story about new technologies to help people as they age. He had developed a prototype for a new type of emergency brake for wheelchairs.
Allen's online resume says he worked for the last six years at C2 Education, a company that offers admissions counselling and test preparation services to aspiring college students. A 2024 post on the company’s Facebook page listed Allen as the company’s teacher of the month. The company did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Saturday night.
Allen also posted that he had developed a video game for the Steam platform based on molecular chemistry. A post under Allen’s name said he was working to develop a new "top-down shooter” combat game set in outer space.
Associated Press