Game developer Cole Allen identified as suspect in White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting incident

Washington DC [US], April 26 (ANI): A chilling security breach rattled the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday (local time), causing widespread scare and chaos at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC.
The incident was a major event of political violence in the country, as US President Donald Trump, along with US Vice President JD Vance, was also in attendance. The First Lady, Melania Trump, was also present at the event, with Trump's other cabinet members
The incident unfolded when a 31-year-old man allegedly stormed a security checkpoint at the entrance of the event, with suspected gunshots heard, prompting a swift response from law enforcement and Secret Service members ushering Trump out of the venue to safety.
According to CNN, the 31-year-old man, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, emerged as the prime suspect behind the chaos that forced Trump to be swiftly evacuated, along with Vance and other members of his cabinet.
Citing sources familiar with the investigation, CNN reported that Allen allegedly stormed a security checkpoint at the event, held at the Washington Hilton, triggering panic.
According to CNN, citing public records, Allen is a resident of Torrance, a suburb of Los Angeles, and worked as a teacher and video game developer in Southern California.
A LinkedIn profile matching his identity described him as a part-time teacher at C2 Education, a tutoring and test preparation firm, which named him its "teacher of the month" in December 2024, as per its social media posts.
The profile further showed that Allen graduated from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and later earned a master's degree in computer science from California State University Dominguez Hills last year, as reported by CNN.
During his time at Caltech, he was featured in a 2017 local news report for developing a prototype emergency brake system for wheelchairs.
According to CNN, citing US Federal Election Commission records, Allen donated USD 25 to the presidential campaign of Kamala Harris in October 2024.
Allen also described himself as a video game developer and appears to have released an independent game titled "Bohrdom" on the Steam platform for USD 1.99. He had registered a trademark for the game's name in 2018, according to federal records, as assessed by CNN.
On his LinkedIn profile, Allen wrote that he was "currently developing a second game, working name 'First Law'.
Following the incident, Interim Metropolitan Police Chief in Washington DC, Jeffery Carroll, said authorities have "secured a room" linked to the suspect to examine its contents.
Carroll stated the suspect was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives, and "exchanged fire" with law enforcement officers before being taken into custody.
Officials said Allen was not struck by gunfire but was taken to a hospital for evaluation. An injured Secret Service agent was also hospitalised, Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said.
US Attorney of DC Jeanine Pirro said the suspect will be produced in court on Monday and faces charges of using a firearm during a crime of violence and assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. Authorities believe the suspect acted alone, as reported by CNN. (ANI)