The man accused of attacking the White House correspondents' dinner has been identified as a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer from California. Social media posts matching the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrence, California, show he earned a master's degree in computer science from California State University-Dominguez Hills and a bachelor's in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology.
Background and Education
Allen's LinkedIn profile, featuring a photo similar to the alleged attacker taken into custody, shows him in cap and gown after his master's graduation. At Caltech, he was involved in a Christian student fellowship and a Nerf gun battle group. During his senior year, he was interviewed by an ABC affiliate in Los Angeles about a prototype emergency brake for wheelchairs he developed to assist the elderly.
Professional Career
For the past six years, Allen has worked at C2 Education, a company providing admissions counseling and test preparation. In 2024, he was named teacher of the month by the company. C2 Education did not respond to requests for comment.
Game Development
Allen also developed a video game based on molecular chemistry for the Steam platform and was working on a new top-down shooter game set in outer space, according to posts under his name.
