A 31-year-old teacher from Torrance was in federal custody Saturday for allegedly opening fire at a Washington, D.C., hotel where President Donald Trump was about to address his first White House Correspondents’ dinner.
The shooting occurred shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday in a ballroom of the Washington Hilton, the same hotel where President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.
U.S. Secret Service agents rushed President Trump out of the hotel and back to the White House, according to media reports from the scene. Vice President JD Vance was also rushed out.
The U.S. Secret Service stated the shooting took place near the main magnetonometer screening area, and that “one individual is in custody. The condition of those involved is not yet known, and law enforcement is actively assessing the situation.”
Media reports indicated the shots were heard right after the singing of the national anthem at the dinner.
Authorities identified the man as Cole Tomas Allen and said he was registered as a guest of the hotel, and that his room was being searched.
His Torrance home was also being searched for evidence, according to reports.
Torrance police did not immediately return a call to City News Service to confirm its involvement. However, video aired on KCAL9 showed a crowd of photographers outside what was believed to be Allen’s house, where officers were keeping the media at a distance from the dwelling, and reported that FBI agents had arrived but not yet made entry as of about 9:45 p.m.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said Allen would be arraigned Monday.
Acting U.S. Attorney Todd Blanche addressed the media from the White House Saturday night and told reporters the suspect will face multiple charges.
“I expect you will see charges filed shortly,” he said. “The charges should be self-evident, given the conduct, but as you’ll hear, there will be multiple charges surrounding the shooting around the possession of firearms and anything else that we can get on this guy.”
FBI Director Kash Patel also addressed the pool of reporters, saying a long gun and shell casings were recovered.
Allen was carrying a “shotgun, handgun and multiple knives,” according to Interim Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll, who said that although the suspect was not struck by gunfire, he was nevertheless taken to a hospital to be evaluated.
Citing his LinkedIn profile, Wired magazine reported that Allen has been employed part-time since March 2020 at Torrance-based C2 Education, a private company that prepares students for college entrance exams.
C2 Education provides “tutoring, test prep and college counseling,” according to its website. It also named Allen on its social media accounts as Teacher of the Month in December 2024 at C2 Education.
Wired reported that as of 2018, Allen has been self-identifying on LinkedIn as a “self-employed” indie game developer, having apparently released on Steam an “atomic fighting game” that year called Bohrdom, which was advertised using accounts on YouTube and Twitter that appeared to have almost no following. A game trailer caption described it as a “non-violent, skill-based, asymmetrical fighting game loosely based on a chemistry model that is itself loosely based on reality.”
According to various reports, Allen earned a degree in computer science from Cal State Dominguez Hills last year, and previously studied mechanical engineering at Caltech.
Shortly after being evacuated from the ballroom, Trump posted on X: “Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job … The shooter has been apprehended.” He said he recommended that the show go on but it was up to law enforcement.
After being returned to the White House, Trump stood behind a podium made a public address before taking questions. Among his comments, he said he saw “a tremendous amount of love and coming together” in the ballroom when the shots were first heard, before he was rushed from the scene. “I heard a noise. I thought it was a tray going down. It was a gun,” Trump said.
He reflected on video showing the man running toward the ballroom.
“He was like a blur on tape. They didn’t let him get through,” Trump said. He said one Secret Service agent was shot but was saved because he was “wearing a very good bullet-proof vest.” The president said, “He’s doing great. Great shape. Very High Spirits.”
Law enforcement performed “exactly as they were supposed to,” he said.
“Not a particularly secure building,” Trump said of the ballroom, where has attended multiple events during his time in office. He said the new ballroom he is building in place of the demolished East Wing of the White House will be more secure, and that there has been great demand for it by previous presidents.
“It’s a dangerous profession,” he said about the job.
Asked why he feels he has been the target of multiple apparent assassination attempts, he said, “The people that do the most … make the biggest impact … they go after them,” he said. “I hate to say I’m honored by that.”
He said he hoped the dinner could be rescheduled within the next 30 days.
“I was set to really rip it,” Trump said. “I’ll be very boring the next time.”
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer was quoted on the news agency’s site, “All the sudden, a guy with a weapon, it was a very, very serious weapon, it starts shooting, and I happened to have been a few feet away from him as he was shooting.”
A media pool reporter, a representative of the Washington Times, stated that the president’s motorcade was headed back to The White House, saying “fastest motorcade I’ve ever been in.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X to say he was “relieved everyone at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is safe tonight based on initial reports. A free press is foundational to our country. Violence is never acceptable.”
Rep. Nannette Barragan, D-Los Angeles, said she attended the dinner as a guest of C- SPAN.
“It’s absolute chaos. Heard the shots and had to get under our table,” she said. “Grateful for the immediate response from the USSS and security as they worked to apprehend the shooter and secure the area. Political violence is never, EVER the answer. It must end.”
The Secret Service and Metropolitan Police Department were investigating.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stated it is “closely monitoring the evolving situation following reports of shots fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. We are in communication with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners and will continue to assess any potential impacts to Los Angeles County. Currently, there are no known credible threats to our community.
“We have proactively reviewed our deployment plans, enhanced coordination with our patrol stations, and ensured that additional resources are available should they be needed.
“These measures are precautionary and part of our ongoing commitment to preparedness and community safety.
We encourage the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement. As always, if you see something, say something,” the department stated.
On Instagram, the city of Torrance posted a statement from Mayor George K. Chen saying, “Tonight, our community joins the nation in condemning the violent incident that occurred in Washington, D.C., during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. We are grateful to the federal law enforcement officers and first responders whose swift actions helped prevent further harm, and we wish the injured agent a full recovery.
“We are aware of reports identifying the suspect as a resident of Torrance. While that connection is deeply troubling, one individual’s alleged actions do not define our city or the values of the more than 143,000 residents who call Torrance home. Torrance is a community built on respect, diversity, hard work and public safety.
“The city of Torrance stands firmly against political violence, extremism and acts of hatred in any form. We reject attempts to sow fear or division, whether here at home or anywhere in our country.
“We will continue working closely with our public safety partners and remain committed to fostering a safe, united and compassionate community. In moments like this, we are reminded that our shared values are stronger than the actions of any one person.”
Before signing off, he concluded, “Our thoughts are with everyone affected tonight.”