31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen has been identified as the suspected perpetrator of the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, which was attended by President Donald Trump and other senior officials.
According to sources for CNN, Allen, from Torrance, California, was neutralized by security forces near the scene after he sped through a checkpoint and opened fire on security personnel.
A Secret Service agent was injured, but survived thanks to his bulletproof vest and is in good condition.
Records show that Allen worked as a part-time teacher and as a game developer.
He had completed his studies in mechanical engineering and received a master's degree in computer science.
Facebook posts associated with Cole show that he was named "Teacher of the Month" in December 2024 by the Torrance office of C2 Education, a national private test preparation and tutoring service for college-bound students.
A LinkedIn profile on behalf of the suspect describes him as "a mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, an experienced freelance game developer, a teacher by birth."
He received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 and a master's degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills in 2025, according to the profile. Caltech said in a statement that a person by that name graduated in 2017.
The chief of the District of Columbia police department said investigators believe the suspect was a guest at the Washington Hilton Hotel, where the annual dinner was being held, but that no motive had been determined.
Authorities confirm that the suspect is in custody, while investigations to fully unravel the incident continue.