ALBAWABA - A shooting attack took place on Saturday evening at the White House correspondents’ dinner during the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Vice President JD Vance.
The police were able to arrest a suspect and place him in custody after "charging" through the security checkpoint and past law enforcement officers, law enforcement officials said Saturday.
Security cameras caught a man rapidly rushing through the metal detectors, as officers were seen running after him. The man was not shot dead or injured, but was being evaluated in the hospital, The Guardian reported.
Interim Washington, D.C., police chief Jeffery Carroll said that he doesn't believe anyone else was involved.
Who is the suspected shooter, Cole Tomas Allen?
The suspected shooter was identified as Cole Tomas Allen. He was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives, police said.
According to initial data, Allen is a 31-year-old from Torrance, California, according to the Associated Press and other news organizations.
He appears to be a graduate from Caltech (California Institute of Technology), Reuters reported, citing social media sites, adding that he is working as a part-time teacher and game developer.
U.S. President Donald Trump points during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, shortly after a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25, 2026. Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP
According to a Facebook account reportedly linked to the suspect, he was named "Teacher of the Month" in 2024 by the Torrance office of C2 Education, which is a nationwide private test-preparation and tutoring service for college-bound students.
According to his LinkedIn page, Cole Tomas Allen describes himself as a "mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth."
On his profile, Allen mentioned that he obtained a "bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 2017, and a master's degree in computer science from California State University at Dominguez Hills in 2025, according to the profile. Caltech said in a statement that a person of that name graduated in 2017."
Trump's first response after the gun incident?
Photo of the suspected shooter, Cole Tomas Allen. (Donald Trump/ Truth Social)
Trump, who was evicted safely from the place, mentioned that one officer was injured, but was "saved by the fact that he was wearing an obviously very good bulletproof vest." The president added, "He was shot from a very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the vest did the job."
The president also revealed that he contacted the injured policeman, and he was "doing great" and in "great shape".
In addition, Trump said the attacker "acted alone," calling him "a very sick person".
