The suspected gunman who forced Donald Trump to evacuate from an event was part of a student prank group that would 'raid random buildings on campus' and shoot NERF guns at each other.
Suspect Identified
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was named as the suspect after shots were heard outside a ballroom holding 2,500 people at the Washington Hilton hotel during the annual White House correspondents' dinner. The incident occurred around 8:35 p.m. local time (01:35 a.m. UK time) on Saturday night. Among those evacuated were Donald Trump, Melania Trump, and JD Vance.
US President Donald Trump described the suspect as a 'lone wolf whack job' following the event.
Background of the Suspect
Allen was revealed to be a highly educated part-time teacher and video game developer. He graduated from the prestigious California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 2017 with a degree in mechanical engineering. His LinkedIn profile indicated he had been a member of the university's Christian fellowship and also the NERF club.
NERF guns are toy weapons that fire soft darts, arrows, and balls, often used by children but also popular with adults. Allen was part of the Caltech NERF group while a student in the early 2010s.
On Facebook, the university group described itself as: 'A group of people who raid random buildings on campus and shoot NERF guns at each other. Various other activities include: the modification of blasters for cool effects, mechanical improvements, and cosmetic bad-assery; shoot the Albert Yang game; long-term NERF games such as Red Vs Blue and Humans vs. Zombies.'
Further Details
Allen appeared in a 2017 local news report as a Caltech student developing a prototype emergency brake for wheelchairs. A university spokesperson confirmed that a person with the name Cole Allen had earned an undergraduate degree in 2017, according to the New York Times.
He later earned a Master of Science in Computer Science from California State University-Dominguez Hills. A LinkedIn profile matching the suspect indicated he worked part-time as a teacher at C2 Education, a test prep and tutoring company. The company awarded him 'teacher of the month' in December 2024, according to social media posts.
Allen also described himself as a video game developer on LinkedIn, recently writing that he was 'currently developing a second game, working name First Law.' He published a game called Bohrdom and registered a trademark for the name in 2018.
Legal Proceedings
The US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, stated that the suspect is expected to appear in court on Monday and face formal charges, including using a firearm during a crime of violence.
This marks the third time since 2024 that the US President has been threatened by an attacker in his immediate vicinity, including the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, that injured him and killed a local firefighter.
