The man accused of opening fire at the Washington Hilton Hotel during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has been identified as Cole Allen, a 31-year-old computer scientist from Torrance, California.
According to online profiles and records, Allen had a background in engineering and game development, including building a shooter role-playing game titled “First Law.”
Records indicate he attended the California Institute of Technology, where he studied mechanical engineering and graduated in 2017. The institution confirmed that an individual with that name completed a degree that year, Fox News reported.
In the summer of 2014, Cole Allen said he was selected as a summer undergraduate research fellow at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he worked on astrophysics-related research.
During that period, he also developed a physics-based role-playing shooter game called “First Law,” centered on two-dimensional space combat. While studying at the California Institute of Technology, he listed projects that included building offensive and defensive robotic systems, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He later developed another physics-based video game titled “Bohrdom,” described as a complex two-dimensional project. He described it as a “combination of a racing game with a bullet hell as experienced by self-propelled pinballs,” released on the popular Steam gaming platform, according to his profile.
Beginning in March 2020, Cole Allen worked for C2 Education, according to his LinkedIn profile. He later enrolled at California State University, Dominguez Hills in 2022 to pursue a master’s degree in computer science, graduating in May 2025. The university confirmed that an individual with that name completed the program that year.
A December 30, 2024 Facebook post from C2 Education recognized “Cole Allen of C2 Education Torrance” as Teacher of the Month, accompanied by a photo consistent with his profile. Federal Election Commission records also show that Allen made a $25 contribution to then-Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 election cycle.
During a late Saturday news conference, authorities said Cole Allen rushed a U.S. Secret Service checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner while armed with multiple weapons.
Officials said Allen opened fire on a Secret Service officer, who was struck in his ballistic vest and transported to a hospital. Agents returned fire, and Allen was not hit but was also taken to a hospital, authorities said, Fox News reported.
