Washington, DC: Cole Tomas Allen, the man accused of shooting inside the White House when the Correspondents’ Association Dinner was in progress on Saturday evening, is a teacher.
A “Teacher of the Month” photograph of his has now gone viral on social media. The photograph dates back to December 2024 and was originally released by C2 Education, where he worked part-time.
Karol Markowicz of Fox News was the first to share details about the shooter on X. “The attempted shooter at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner is 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California, and he is in custody,” she posted, as reported by Hindustan Times.
According to his Linkedin profile, Allen also interned at NASA in 2014. He
apparently worked on AI models for planet mapping during his internship at NASA, as per the description.
The also profile specifies that he graduated from Caltech as an engineer. He has been working at C2 Education as a teacher for six years, the profile says.
Preliminary investigation has revealed that Allen is not affiliated with any foreign group or political organization, though authorities have not confirmed these details. His alleged role and possible motivations remain unclear.
He allegedly fired shots at the venue where US president Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and nearly all senior officials of the administration were present. Allen is also accused of shooting a Secret Service agent, who was saved due to his bullet-proof vest.
Federal agencies, including the FBI, have indicated that a full background investigation is already underway.
“We will be examining this individuals background thoroughly. That process has already started… we will analyze all evidence immediately to make sure that we safeguard this country,” FBI director Kash Patel said during the White House press conference.