South Bay Teacher Charged In Trump Assassination Attempt At White House Correspondents Dinner

Cole Tomas Allen, the 31-year-old Torrance suspected of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Saturday night, was formally charged in federal court Monday with trying to assassinate President Donald Trump, NBC and others report.

He was also charged with interstate transportation of weapons and discharge of a firearm during a violent crime. Neither the president nor any of the guests at the event was injured. A Secret Service agent was shot, however.

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Allen, who was remanded into custody, did not enter a plea. His preliminary hearing was set for May 11.

An FBI affidavit filed in the case reveals additional details about the planning behind the assault, with authorities alleging that Allen on April 6 reserved a room for himself at the Washington hotel where the event would be held weeks later under its typical tight security. He traveled by train cross-country from California last week, checking himself into the Washington Hilton one day before the dinner with a room reserved through the weekend.

The event had barely begun when officials say the 31-year-old armed with a shotgun and pistol, tried to race past a security barricade near the cavernous ballroom holding hundreds of journalists and their guests, prompting an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents tasked with safeguarding the event.

Authorities say Allen was taken into custody at the dinner Saturday night in Washington that was attended by Trump and top members of his administration.

“Violence has no place in civic life,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a news conference. “We will ensure accountability is swift and certain.”

Allen was injured but was not shot. A Secret Service officer was shot but was wearing a bullet-resistant vest and survived, officials say. The Justice Department charged Allen with two additional firearms counts, including discharging a weapon during a crime of violence, but the affidavit does not directly say that Allen was responsible for shooting the officer.

Authorities arrived at his Torrance home Saturday night and searched it within hours of the shooting. The city's mayor, George Chen, later released a statement.

"Our community joins the nation in condemning the violent incident that occurred in Washington, D.C., during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner," Chen wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "The City of Torrance stands firmly against political violence, extremism and acts of hatred."

The shotgun and handgun that Allen had with him when apprehended were legally purchased in California, a law enforcement source told the Los Angeles Times.

In an update on Sunday, Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police said that they believe Allen acted alone. According to police, two firearms and multiple knives were recovered when he was arrested, and a Secret Service officer was injured and taken for treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.

CBS News reports that a total of eight shots were fired during the incident.

A social media profile for a man with the same name and a photo that appears to match that of the suspect shows that he worked part-time for the last six years for C2 Education, a company that offers admissions counseling and test preparation services to aspiring college students.

He was named Teacher of the Month by C2 in December, 2024.

"We are cooperating fully with law enforcement," the company said in an emailed statement. "Violence is never any kind of answer."

Allen reportedly ran through a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton Saturday night and fired a weapon, according to CNN. He was arrested at the scene.

Authorities Search Writings for Motive

In a message sent to family members minutes before the attack, the 31-year-old described himself as “Friendly Federal Assassin” and railed against recent actions taken by the U.S. government under Trump, though he did not name the Republican president directly, according to a copy obtained by The Associated Press.

The message was more than 1,000 words long and included apologies to his family, co-workers and others he feared would be affected by the planned act of violence, the Associated Press reports.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said on Saturday night that Allen would be charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. She also said, "It is clear that this individual was intent on doing as much harm as he could."

A magistrate judge granted a prosecutor's request to keep Allen locked up pending additional hearings, including a detention hearing set for Thursday.

Allen did not speak at length during the quick appearance, as is customary, though one of his lawyers, Texira Abe, noted that he has no criminal record.

“He also is presumed innocent at this time," she said.

Records reveal that Allen is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer. A social media profile for a man with the same name and a photo that appears to match that of the suspect show he worked part-time for the last six years at a company that offers admissions counseling and test preparation services to aspiring college students.

Voter registration records from California lists Allen’s home address as his parent’s house on a tree-lined street in one of the most historic neighborhoods in Torrance, a city within the Los Angeles metro area. No one answered the door Sunday when an Associated Press reporter knocked. By the afternoon, several people who appeared to be law enforcement agents were canvassing the neighborhood, with one wearing an FBI sweatshirt.

A yard sign displayed at the family home supported a local candidate for judge who was endorsed by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. Federal campaign finance records show Cole Allen contributed $25 to a Democratic Party political action committee in support of Kamala Harris for president in 2024 and listed his employer as C2 Education.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, according to his profile on the social networking site LinkedIn. The small university is academically prestigious with a very low acceptance rate. He also listed his involvement there in a campus group that battled with Nerf guns and a Christian student fellowship.

Allen’s profile photo on LinkedIn shows him wearing a cap and gown when graduating with a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills. The photo appears to have been taken May 2025.

ERIC TUCKER, MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER of the Associated Press contributed to this report.