A man, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, is suspected of firing shots outside the White House correspondents’ dinner, leading to the evacuation of Donald Trump and others. The incident occurred at the Washington Hilton hotel during the annual dinner. Described as a “lone wolf whack job” by the US President, Allen is a part-time teacher and video game developer with a background in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology.
During his time at the university, Allen was involved in the NERF club, a group that engaged in playful activities like shooting NERF guns on campus. He also participated in various NERF games and was known for modifying toy blasters for enhanced effects. Additionally, he was recognized for developing a wheelchair emergency brake prototype as a student.
After graduating, Allen obtained a Master of Science in Computer Science and worked part-time as a teacher at a tutoring company. He was awarded “teacher of the month” in 2024 and was actively involved in video game development, with one game published and another in progress. The suspect is expected to appear in court to face charges related to the incident.
This marks the third security threat to the US President since 2024, with previous incidents including an attempted assassination in Pennsylvania.