The DC Metropolitan Police announced during a press conference on Saturday night that the armed gunman who opened fire inside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was a registered guest at the Washington Hilton hotel, the venue hosting the high-profile black-tie event attended by President Donald Trump.
Speaking after the event, interim DC Police Chief Jeffery Carroll confirmed the suspect, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, had checked into the hotel as a guest before the chaos erupted.
Allen was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives when he allegedly assembled a long weapon in an unsecured back area and opened fire near the magnetometers at the security checkpoint.
“He was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives,” Carroll said.
Carroll explained that the suspect and law enforcement officers “exchanged gunfire,” and he ran through the security checkpoint.
The suspect was stopped and taken into custody alive.
WATCH:
DC Police Chief: “Preliminary information; we do believe he was a guest here at the hotel.” pic.twitter.com/3yNSq71MV1
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 26, 2026
It appears that there is “no reason to believe at this time that anyone else was involved” and that it “does not appear to be any sort of danger to the public,” Carroll said.
WASHINGTON, DC POLICE PRESS CONFERENCE
Jeffery W. Carroll says an armed suspect (shotgun, handgun, multiple knives) charged a Secret Service checkpoint in Washington, DC.
• Suspect was not shot, taken to hospital for evaluation
• Early info suggests he wanted to “hit as… pic.twitter.com/hFdFZsf95t
— ✦ Margot Haddad ✦ (@margothaddad) April 26, 2026
One Secret Service agent was struck by a bullet but survived thanks to his bulletproof vest.
President Donald Trump also addressed the shooting during an urgent White House press conference just before the update from police.
Trump confirmed speaking directly to the wounded Secret Service agent, saying, “I just spoke to the officer. He’s in great shape!”
The president repeatedly praised the Secret Service for their quick action to prevent any loss of life.
Allen, a Caltech graduate who earned a master’s in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, had been working as a teacher and was even named “Teacher of the Month” in December 2024 at C2 Education in Torrance.
No manifesto has been released, and authorities have not yet disclosed a motive.
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