Neighbours of White House correspondents' dinner shooting suspect react

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, is said to have worked for a tutoring company for college age students.

The suspected gunman in the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner was charged Monday in federal court with three counts including attempting to assassinate the president. Cole Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, is charged with attempting to assassinate the President of the United States, transportation of a firearm & ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.

The suspect in the shooting incident just outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday night is a trained mechanical engineer working as a tutor who traveled across the country to perpetrate 'as much damage as he could,' sources and officials said. The shooting, near the main magnetometer area for the event, sparked chaos inside the Hilton hotel ballroom, which was packed with thousands of journalists as well as President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet.

Investigators say they believe the suspected shooter from Torrance was working alone, but his motives are still unclear. Keenan Willard reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, 2026. The suspect in custody following a shooting that caused President Donald Trump and top administration officials to quickly evacuate from the White House Correspondents' Association dinner Saturday is a man from Torrance, federal officials familiar with the investigation said. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, allegedly rushed at a security checkpoint in the lobby of the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. — where the annual black-tie gala was being held — exchanged gunfire with law enforcement, and got tackled to the ground before being taken into custody.