A 2017 graduate of California Institute of Technology and a 2025 recipient of a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, Cole Tomas Allen apparently lived a quiet life in Torrance, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles about 15 miles from downtown.
While a student at Caltech, Allen was a member of the school’s Caltech Christian Fellowship club and the Nerf club. George Daghlian, who was in the Caltech Christian Fellowship club with Allen, was shaken by the news.
“I’m in shock,” Daghlian said. “I’m so sorry to hear that,” he told the Wall Street Journal.
Allen worked for C2 Education, a private tutoring and test-prep company, where he was named teacher of the month in December of 2024.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooter was armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives, according to DC police chief Jeffrey Carroll.
The shooter was identified as 31-year-old teacher Cole Allen from Torrance, California.
The suspect emerged from a “makeshift… pic.twitter.com/aUK5m6AwCr
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 26, 2026
He reportedly rushed the Secret Service checkpoint that led into the ballroom where the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was to be held. There were several shots fired, at least one from Cole, who wounded a Secret Service agent.
On his LinkedIn page, Allen described himself as a “mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth.” He lists his ”Causes” on that profile as ”Science and Technology.”
Allen previously worked as a mechanical engineer for UK Controls in South Pasadena and as a teaching assistant at Caltech. In 2016, he competed in a robotics competition at the school.
Allen donated $25 to the political action committee ActBlue in October 2024, a month before Donald Trump’s defeat of Kamala Harris, reports The Los Angeles Times.
According to FEC filings, it was his only political donation in the past ten years. Allen was a registered voter but not a member of a political party.
Police swarmed Cole’s Torrance home after a search warrant was executed at 10:30 p.m. Some residents of the home were seen speaking with law enforcement.
The Los Angeles Times quotes the president of the Asian American Civic Trust, Dylan Wakayama, who described Allen as “very intelligent, proficient in biology, mathematics and science. They thought he was on the nicer, quiet side.”
Police said Allen has no criminal record and was not on law enforcement’s radar in Washington, D.C. Allen is being charged with two counts: use of a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.
In some ways, Allen fits the classic “lone wolf” definition of an assassin. According to the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, “lone wolves” are a nightmare for law enforcement specifically because they don’t communicate their intentions to others, making them nearly impossible to detect through traditional intelligence. While many have a history of depression or anxiety, only a small percentage are legally “insane.” Most are functional enough to carry out complex planning and travel.
They are frequently described as “loners,” “quiet,” or “reserved.” Neighbors often describe them as people who “wouldn’t hurt a flea” because they harbor their resentment internally rather than expressing it through normal social outlets.
I’m sure that more information on Cole Allen will be released in the coming days. What won’t be discussed is how much the hysterical, sometimes violent anti-Trump rhetoric from the left played a role in the attack on the president. I’m sure we’ll be treated to more expressions of disappointment that the shooter failed in his mission and more conspiracy theories that the shooting was “staged.”
Meanwhile, the nation slips ever closer to civil war as political violence is cheered and assassination becomes commonplace.
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