By Faris Tanyos
April 26, 2026 / 1:54 AM EDT / CBS News
Authorities have identified the suspect who opened fire outside the Washington Hilton ballroom during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner as 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were evacuated safely, and officials said no attendees suffered serious injuries.
Law enforcement said between five and eight gunshots were fired. A Secret Service agent was struck by at least one round but was wearing a bulletproof vest and is expected to recover, officials said. Two sources told CBS News that after his arrest the suspect said he intended to shoot Trump administration officials.
D.C. Metropolitan Police interim chief Jeff Carroll said the suspect approached a security checkpoint outside the dinner armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives and tried to charge the checkpoint. Police detained the man without firing at him; he was not struck by gunfire and was taken to a hospital for evaluation. President Trump posted a photo on social media showing the shirtless suspect on the floor with his hands bound behind his back after being detained.
Carroll said the suspect was a hotel guest and that, so far, investigators believe he acted alone, though the probe remains active. President Trump also described the assailant as a “lone wolf.”
Officials identified the man as Cole Allen, who worked for Torrance tutoring firm C2 Education and was named the company’s “Teacher of the Month” in December 2024, according to law enforcement sources. The California Institute of Technology confirmed Allen graduated from Caltech in 2017. Federal and local authorities were seen late Saturday at a home in Torrance believed to be the suspect’s residence.
U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro announced federal charges against Allen, saying he will be charged with one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon, and that additional charges are expected as the investigation continues. “It is clear, based upon what we know so far, that this individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could,” Pirro said. She said Allen will be arraigned Monday in federal court.
Pat Milton, Jennifer Jacobs, Nicole Sganga and Melissa Quinn contributed to this report.