White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting Suspect ID’d as California Teacher Cole Tomas Allen

(LinkedIn/Truth Social)

The man suspected of firing several shots at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night has been identified as a California man.

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, was identified by several outlets as the man suspected of opening fire outside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton Hotel, where the annual dinner was taking place.

The shooting created a chaotic scene inside the ballroom, with the Secret Service whisking President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump away, as journalists and politicians alike hit the floor.

Photos and a video of the suspect were later shared on the social media account of President Donald Trump, who called shooter a “sick person,” and a “thug.”

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro told the Associated Press that Allen has been charged with two charges related to using a firearm and assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon, but other indictments may soon follow.

At a news conference hours after the shooting, authorities said Allen had been staying at the Hilton, and was “armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives.”

Allen reportedly graduated from CalTech in 2017 with a degree in mechanical engineering. Last year, he graduated with a masters in computer science.

On his LinkedIn page, Allen describes himself as a “Mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth.”

Allen was named “Teacher of the Month” at his current employer, C2 Education year, according to a post on LinkedIn.

At this point, Allen is believed to be the lone suspect in the shooting.

He is declining to answer questions, but had allegedly made a reference to targeting administration officials, officials told ABC News. He did not specify a target in his statement.

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