Authorities have identified the suspect arrested in connection with Saturday’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner as Cole Tomas Allen, a 31‑year‑old resident of Torrance, California.

A law enforcement official confirmed Allen’s identity, describing him as a Los Angeles‑area man whose social media accounts suggest he is a Caltech graduate, part‑time teacher, and independent game developer.

District of Columbia Police Chief said investigators believe Allen had been staying as a guest at the Washington Hilton, the venue for the annual dinner, though no motive has yet been determined.

Public records and online postings paint a portrait of Allen as an accomplished academic and educator. A Facebook post shows he was named Teacher of the Month in December 2024 by the Torrance branch of C2 Education, a nationwide tutoring service.

A LinkedIn profile under his name describes him as a “mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth.”

According to the profile, Allen earned 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. Caltech confirmed that a graduate by that name completed studies in 2017.

His work history includes several years as a part‑time instructor with C2 Education and as a self‑employed game developer. He previously worked as a mechanical engineer at IJK Controls in South Pasadena and served as a teaching assistant at Caltech. The profile also highlights his participation in a robotics competition at Caltech in 2016, where his team won recognition.

The Secret Service reported that Allen was armed with a short gun and opened fire at an agent near the ballroom entrance of the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was underway. President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and several cabinet secretaries were in attendance. Allen was taken into custody shortly after the incident.

Authorities continue to investigate the shooting, with no motive established at this time.

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An armed security breach at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner triggered panic in Washington late Saturday, forcing the evacuation of U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump after shots were fired at a Secret Service checkpoint.

The dramatic incident unfolded at the Washington Hilton, where about 2,600 guests had gathered for the high-profile event. Authorities confirmed that a lone suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from the Los Angeles area, is now in custody.

According to officials, the suspect charged through a security checkpoint in the hotel lobby at approximately 8:35 p.m. ET, armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives. As he breached the perimeter, Secret Service agents engaged him, leading to an exchange of gunfire.

A Secret Service agent was struck during the confrontation but was protected by a bulletproof vest and is in stable condition. Law enforcement officers quickly subdued the suspect, tackling and handcuffing him at the scene before transporting him to a hospital for evaluation.

The man identified as the shooter in a photo posted by Trump on Truth Social on April 25, 2026. Handout via REUTERS

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said the incident appeared to be isolated, with no immediate indication of a broader threat. However, investigators are still working to determine the suspect’s motive.

Law enforcement sources told CBS News that the suspect allegedly expressed intentions to target officials in the Trump administration, though authorities have yet to confirm a clear motive.

In California, FBI agents and local law enforcement officials cordoned off the suspect’s residence as part of an ongoing investigation. Media crews gathered outside the property while agents conducted searches.

Secret Service Director Sean Curran praised the swift response of agents, saying the incident demonstrated the effectiveness of layered security measures.

“Tonight we saw exactly what our brave men and women do every day to protect our protectees,” Curran said in a statement.

The annual dinner was immediately cancelled following the incident. President Trump later addressed reporters at the White House, describing the suspect as “a sick person” and vowing that such attacks would not disrupt national life.

“We’re not going to let anybody take over our society,” Trump said, adding that the event would be rescheduled.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said the suspect is expected to face charges including assault on a federal officer and use of a firearm during a violent crime.

The shooting adds to heightened security concerns surrounding Trump, who survived two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign, including a shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and a foiled plot at a golf course in Florida.

Saturday’s incident also carried historical echoes, as the Washington Hilton was the site of the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan.

Despite the scare, officials emphasised that the security system functioned as intended, preventing further casualties and ensuring the safety of the president and attendees. Investigations into the suspect’s background, including reports suggesting he may have worked as a teacher in Torrance, California, are ongoing.

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By OLUFEMI SHODUNKE (CANADA)

An Ontario Supreme Court of Justice in Canada has sentenced a 62-year-old man, Bradley Britton, who sexually assaulted two women 38 years ago, to a “global sentence” of eight years.

Britton, according to court records, assaulted victim N.G. on May 23, 1987 at Toronto and victim A.N. in Oakville in 1993, both in Ontario Province.

The Presiding Judge, Conlan J, who described the two incidents as “historical offences,” stated last Wednesday that Britton, who was 24 when he sexually assaulted his first victim, committed grievous offences.

“The gravity of these two offences is very significant.  The degree of responsibility of this offender, Britton, is very high,” Justice Conlan said in his recent decision.

He maintained: “Notwithstanding Mr. Adler’s able submissions, and notwithstanding the passage of time and all of the extensive materials filed by the defence, I am of the opinion that a significant penitentiary sentence is the only reasonable disposition in this case.

“The sentence of the Court is as follows.  On the conviction involving N.G., Britton is sentenced to 5 years’ imprisonment.  On the conviction involving A.N., Britton is sentenced to 3 years’ imprisonment, consecutive.  The global sentence is, therefore, 8 years’ imprisonment.”

“I have deliberately tempered the sentence on each of the two convictions so as to respect the totality principle and so that the mitigating factors are properly accounted for. 

For example, five years in custody for breaking into the home of and sexually assaulting, with full vaginal penetration, a random woman in her bed, at knife point, is relatively low,” the judge stressed.

He added: “Overall, though, I am satisfied that the global sentence imposed is a fit one.”

According to court records, the sexual offences were committed some six years apart, against the two different victims, in different cities, and in different circumstances, and therefore, consecutive sentences were appropriate, keeping in mind the totality principle.

Britton, who had a lengthy history of drug and alcohol addiction but never committed any crime since the assaults, was discovered as the perpetrator after “a determined police investigation by both Toronto and Halton authorities, and with the assistance of an expert genealogy laboratory in Texas” USA in 2023.

He was alleged to have invaded N.G. home between 3am and 4am, and assaulted the then 28-year-old married mother of three children while sleeping. 

“The family was asleep in their apartment on Jane Street.  The couple’s 1-year-old daughter was sleeping in the bed beside the victim.  The husband and the couple’s two older daughters, 5 and 9 years old, were asleep in the adjacent room,” the record disclosed.

Britton allegedly threatened to kill the woman who later told police that “she was afraid of dying during the attack.”

Similarly, the accused had laid ambushed on the 20-year-old A.G. while she was walking home in Oakville in 1993 and sexually attacked her.

“When he was finished with her, Britton told the victim to count to 20 before she moved.  He told her not to tell anyone and that he would be watching her.  He then left the area,” the court record disclosed.

The record added: “Police determined that Britton had been hiding behind a gravestone and watching the walking path that had been used by the victim.  He had run out from behind the gravestone to attack A.N.