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A 31-year-old California man has been identified as the suspected gunman who triggered chaos at the White House Correspondents\u2019 Dinner Saturday night, forcing the evacuation of President Donald Trump and hundreds of high-profile guests from the Washington Hilton.<\/span><\/p>\n Law enforcement has identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, a resident of Torrance, California, with a background in engineering and education. Federal prosecutors say Allen has already been charged<\/a> with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon, with U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro adding that \u201cmany more charges\u201d will be leveled at the man as the investigation continues.<\/span><\/p>\n Authorities say Allen forced his way through a security checkpoint just outside the ballroom where the annual dinner was underway Saturday night. The event, attended by roughly 2,000\u20132,500 guests including cabinet officials, journalists, and the First Lady, quickly descended into panic as Secret Service agents engaged the suspect.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA man charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of the Secret Service,\u201d Trump said shortly after the incident, later describing the attacker as a \u201cwould-be assassin.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n According to CBS News, Allen opened fire outside the ballroom where the president and other officials were gathered, discharging between five and eight rounds during the incident. The president and First Lady Melania Trump were safely evacuated, and no attendees suffered serious injuries.<\/span><\/p>\n At least one Secret Service agent was struck by gunfire but was protected by a ballistic vest and is expected to recover. Officials say the suspect was subdued at the scene and taken into custody without being fatally wounded.<\/span><\/p>\n Investigators<\/span><\/a> say Allen was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives. Washington, D.C., interim police chief Jeff Carroll confirmed the suspect was believed to have been staying at the hotel, giving him a potential pathway past earlier layers of security.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAt this point, it does appear he is a lone actor, a lone gunman,\u201d Carroll said, noting the investigation remains ongoing.<\/span><\/p>\n Secret Service Director Sean Curran defended the response, emphasizing that the layered security posture functioned as intended in stopping the attacker before he could reach the main event space.<\/span><\/p>\n Still, the breach is likely to prompt renewed scrutiny of security protocols at major political gatherings, particularly given the high-profile nature of the correspondents\u2019 dinner.<\/span><\/p>\n Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said<\/a>, \u201cIt appears he purchased these firearms the past couple years. We don\u2019t know how those firearms ended up in his possession in D.C.\u201d Federal agents were seen conducting a search of his Torrance residence late Saturday night as part of the ongoing investigation.<\/span><\/p>\n Allen\u2019s background adds another layer to the story. According to law enforcement sources, he earned a mechanical engineering degree from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 and later completed a master\u2019s degree in computer science at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He was working as an instructor with C2 Education, a national tutoring and test preparation firm, and had been recognized internally as \u201cTeacher of the Month\u201d in late 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n Federal Election Commission records also show a $25 donation from an individual matching his profile to ActBlue, a major Democratic fundraising platform, in October 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n Authorities have also confirmed that Allen\u2019s social media footprint included \u201canti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric,\u201d and he\u2019d shared posts<\/a> on leftwing site Bluesky calling for Trump to be \u201cimmediately removed from office and tried for high crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n Law enforcement confirmed to CBS that Cole Allen\u2019s social media contained \u201canti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/oTpT3vEjnr<\/a><\/p>\n\n