Donald Trump shooting suspect Cole Thomas Allen named 'Teacher of the Month'

A man branded a ‘lone wolf whack job’ by Trump after gunfire rang out at the White House Correspondents’ dinner was previously the recipient of an award. Cole Thomas Allen, aged 31, of Torrance, California, was described as ‘intelligent and nice’ by the students he helped as he was named Teacher of the Month. He’d reportedly booked into the Washington Hilton Hotel where the annual dinner was taking place attended by 2,500 people. Drama erupted when shots rang out as the gunman allegedly tried to get through a security checkpoint. One officer who was wearing a bulletproof vest was shot and was taken to a hospital. President Donald Trump and first Lady Melania were rushed offstage along with others. In a Truth Social post, Trump said the gunman had been apprehended and posted a photo of the suspect captured and lying on the ground at the hotel. Police said Allen was armed with a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives. “They seem to think he’s a lone wolf , and I feel that too,” Trump said at a press briefing after the event. Trump told reporters during a press conference that the officer who was shot is “doing great.” Allen was not known to security services and was named teacher of the month in December 2024. The honour was announced by C2 Education, who he had worked with for six years according to online reports. It specialises in college ‘test preparation, tutoring and academic advising’. According to the Los Angeles Times, Dylan Wakayama, president of the Asian American Civic Trust, said Allen tutored several high school students who are members of the organisation, a Torrance-based non-profit. “They thought he was very intelligent, proficient in biology, mathematics and science. They thought he was on the nicer, quiet side. They were completely shocked when I told them that this all went down,” he said. “I think all of us in Torrance would be shocked if this is the man who attempted to kill the president of the United States,” he said. In addition to his part-time work at C2 Education, he’s also self-employed, according to his LinkedIn, identifying as an “indie game developer.” Cole Allen, who is registered to vote with no party preference, graduated from CalTech in 2017 with a degree in mechanical engineering. While at CalTech, he was a member of the school’s Christian fellowship and the nerf club, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was featured in a CalTech graduation announcement posted by the university in 2017 on Facebook, which included a picture of him as an adult wearing a cardigan and red tie and a photo of him as a beaming young child holding a stuffed bunny. Allen also earned a master’s degree in computer science at Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2025, according to a commencement program. His LinkedIn profile picture shows him sitting in his cap and gown with the caption: “pretty sure my Master’s in CS is done.” On his profile he describes himself as a game developer, engineer, scientist and teacher. He registered a trademark in 2019 for “Bohrdom” which is a fighting game he created and released on Steam, an online game platform. The game is described on the website as a “skill-based, non-violent asymmetrical fighting game loosely derived from a chemistry model that is itself loosely based on reality. “Alternatively, think of it as a hybrid of a bullet hell and a racing game, with the inclusion of self-propelled pinballs.” After Allen’s arrest, law enforcement and press descended on the Torrance neighbourhood where he’d apparently lived for six months with his family. A man said through the front door after he was knocked by media: “Not right now.” Colin, a 39-year-old neighbour, said the current residents of the home had just moved in six months ago. “It’s tragic,” he said. “There’s no need for violence in this day and age.” Another man, 50, who lives across the street and declined to provide his name to a reporter, said the family was friendly. “We see them every day and we just say ‘hi’ and they’re very nice,” he said. “They’re peaceful people, they don’t make any noise and when they see you they say hi.” The site of Saturday's dinner, the Washington Hilton, was the scene of an attempt on the life of President Ronald Reagan, who was shot and wounded by a would-be assassin outside the hotel in 1981. It was the first time Trump had attended the event. Mr Trump said later: "My impression is he was a lone wolf whack job. These are crazy people." The president praised the secret service and said the gunman was not close to breaching the ballroom where he sat on stage at the time of the incident. He added: "I saw a room that was just totally unified. It was, in one way, very beautiful, a very beautiful thing. "To see a man charge a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, and he was taken down by some very brave members of secret service, and they acted very quickly. It is always shocking when something like this happens." Washington mayor Muriel Bowser said she had "no reason" to believe anyone else was involved. Among the guests at the black tie event, which Mr Trump said would be rescheduled in the next 30 days, was the British ambassador Sir Christian Turner. The top diplomat posted on social media: "The @UKinUSA team attending tonight's White House Correspondents dinner are grateful for the swift and professional response of the Secret Service. "We are thankful that the President and all those in attendance were unharmed & our best wishes are with the injured officer." The armed assault comes just days before the state visit by the King and Queen , where they are due to meet Mr Trump and attend a White house banquet. When asked about the incident and any impact on the trip, Buckingham Palace said it does not comment on security matters. Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C, said the suspect was being charged with two counts: use of a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. He will be arraigned on Monday in federal court.