Man Arrested After Shots Fired at White House Correspondents' Dinner Identified

A man was arrested after shots were fired inside the Washington Hilton hotel during the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night, an event attended by President Trump. Law enforcement sources identified the suspect to CBS as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance in the Los Angeles region of California.

CBS reported that Allen told officials he wanted to shoot members of the Trump administration. The sources also stated that between five and eight gunshots were fired during the incident.

footage posted by President Trump showed a person rushing past security officers, who then pursued him. At a late-night press conference, Washington interim police chief Jeffery Carroll stated that security officials and the suspect exchanged fire. Carroll added that the suspect was not struck by gunfire but was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

Carroll said the suspect was a guest at the hotel and was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives. He described the suspect as a lone actor. President Trump later posted a photo showing a shirtless man on the floor with hands cuffed behind his back, surrounded by Secret Service agents.

agents and police searched an address in California linked to the suspect. Two law enforcement sources confirmed to CBS that Allen worked for a tutoring firm in Torrance called C2 Education. In December 2024, he received a 'Teacher of the Month' award from the company, though it was unclear if he remained employed there.

The Torrance Unified School District stated to CBS that Allen has never been an employee of the district. The California Institute of Technology confirmed to CBS that Allen graduated from the institution in 2017 but provided no further details.

She added that he would be formally charged on Monday in federal court.