Cole Thomas Allen: What we know about suspected gunman at Trump dinner

The suspect who stormed through a security checkpoint and shot a Secret Service agent at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington DC was armed with multiple weapons and knives, police say.

Donald Trump, first lady Melania and senior officials were quickly evacuated to safety from the annual event after several gunshots were heard outside the Washington Hilton Hotel ballroom where around 2,500 people were in attendance.

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The suspect has been identified by US authorities as 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen, from Torrance, about 15 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles.

Officials have said he has no criminal record and was not on the radar of law enforcement.

Police have said the suspect was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives.

Jeffrey Carroll, interim chief of police for the Metropolitan Police Department, said the suspect was involved in an altercation as he tried to get into the event.

The suspect exchanged shots with an officer who was struck but was unharmed because he was wearing a bulletproof vest.

He was "tackled to the ground" and handcuffed by law enforcement before being apprehended, Mr Carroll added.

Officials believe the suspect was acting alone, but his motive is unclear.

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Suspect's background

Sky News has verified Cole Thomas Allen's LinkedIn profile, in which he describes himself as a "mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent ‌game developer by experience, teacher by birth".

According to his profile, he secured a bachelor's degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and a master's degree in computer science from California State University-Dominguez Hills.

Allen's online resume suggests he worked for the last six years at C2 Education, a company which helps aspiring college students.

One post also said he was working to develop a new "top-down shooter" combat game set in outer space.

'Lone wolf whack job'

Speaking at a news conference after the incident, President Trump said he may have been the suspected gunman's target.

Earlier, Mr Trump uploaded a photo to his Truth Social platform claiming to show the alleged gunman being apprehended.

He described the suspect as a "lone wolf whack job" from California.

Police believe the suspect was a guest at the Washington Hilton Hotel where the correspondents' dinner was being held.

"We do believe he was a guest here at the hotel. We have secured a room here in the hotel, and again, we'll go through the appropriate procedures to determine what was inside there," Mr Carroll said.

US attorney Jeanine Pirro has confirmed the suspect has been charged with firearms and assault charges.

Saturday evening was the first time that Mr Trump has attended the correspondents' dinner as president.

He was the subject of two assassination ​attempts in 2024, after he left the White House in 2021 and while he ​was campaigning for re-election.

The most serious occurred while Mr Trump was campaigning at an outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, ​in July 2024.

Mr Trump was shot and wounded in his upper ear by a 20-year-old gunman. The gunman ⁠was shot dead by security personnel.

The site of Saturday's dinner, the Washington Hilton, was the scene of ​an attempt on the life of then president Ronald Reagan, who was shot and wounded by a would-be assassin outside the hotel in 1981.

(c) Sky News 2026: Cole Thomas Allen: What we know about suspected gunman at Trump dinner