Cole Thomas Allen The 31-year-old, who is accused of starting a fire at Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, is due to appear in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Monday. Here’s everything we know so far:
1. What happened at dinner
Authorities said Allen allegedly opened fire while trying to enter a ballroom at the Washington Hilton hotel, where former President Donald Trump and top officials had gathered.
Surveillance video shows him leaving the room dressed in black and carrying a shotgun, a handgun and knives in his bag. He used the stairwell to avoid security and headed toward the ballroom, where Secret Service officers stopped him.
Officials said between five and eight shots were fired. One officer was shot, but his bulletproof vest saved him and he is expected to be OK. Trump was quickly taken away uninjured.
2. He is an engineer, develops games, and is also a teacher
According to his LinkedIn profile, he is a game developer, engineer, scientist, and teacher.
He received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Caltech in 2017 and a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills in 2025.
Bin Tang, Allen’s computer science professor, tells us cbs news “He is indeed a very good student. He always sits in the first row of my class, pays close attention, and often sends me emails to ask questions about the course. He is soft-spoken, very polite, and a good person. I was very shocked to see this news.”
Declarations and signs of warming
Authorities said they discovered a written manifesto in which Allen described himself as a “friendly federal assassin” and criticized actions taken by the U.S. government under President Donald Trump, although he did not directly name him.
Allen shared some of his writings with his family before the attack. A family member also told investigators that Allen had been making extreme statements for some time and often talked about doing “something” to solve the world’s problems. They also said he often practiced at a shooting range, CBS News reported
3. How he planned and prepared
Allen reportedly took a train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington, D.C. He checked into the Washington Hilton the day before the event.
according to newsweekHis sister said he purchased two handguns and a shotgun from Cap Tactical Firearms and placed them at their parents’ home without their knowledge, a White House official said. The shotgun was purchased in August 2025 and the other pistol was purchased in 2023, CBS News reported.
Also read: What charges does WHCD shooting suspect Cole Allen currently face? What we know so far
4. Charges faced by Cole Allen
Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said Saturday night that Allen faces two counts of using a firearm during a violent crime and one count of assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon, Newsweek reported. She also said more charges may be added after today’s court appearance.
“Based on what we know now, it’s clear that this individual intended to cause as much harm and destruction as possible,” Pirro said. “Thankfully, because the checkpoint was right outside the ballroom where thousands of people were listening to the President of the United States speak, the checkpoint worked and when it became clear where the defendant was going, no one was hurt.”
5. Words from Acting Attorney General Todd Branch
Additionally, Acting Attorney General Todd Branch told CBS News Facing the whole country More charges will depend on what investigators discover about Allen’s motives and plans.
“There are a number of federal charges that could come into play in addition to those two charges, but that depends on what we know about his motivation, his intent and the premeditation of his decisions,” Branch said.
