Armed Guest Sparks Chaos at WHCD
Washington, D.C. police said Saturday night that the armed man who opened fire inside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner security area was a registered guest at the Washington Hilton, the hotel hosting the event.
Interim DC Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said the suspect, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, had checked into the hotel before the incident began. According to police, Allen was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives.
Carroll said the suspect assembled a long weapon in an unsecured back area and then opened fire near the magnetometers at the checkpoint. He said officers and the suspect “exchanged gunfire,” and the man ran through the security area before being taken down.
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
Authorities said the suspect was shot and taken to the hospital for treatment. Police also said there was no immediate sign that anyone else was involved.
“He was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives,” Carroll said.
At a separate update, police said it “does not appear to be any sort of danger to the public,” and that investigators did not believe there was an ongoing threat tied to the incident.
One Secret Service agent was struck by a bullet, but survived because of a bulletproof vest. President Donald Trump later addressed the shooting and said, “I just spoke to the officer. He’s in great shape!” He also praised the Secret Service response and said the fast action likely prevented a worse outcome.
🚨 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
Allen’s background has also drawn attention. Reports say he graduated from Caltech, later earned a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and worked as a teacher. He was even named “Teacher of the Month” in December 2024 at C2 Education in Torrance.
For now, police say no manifesto has been released and no motive has been confirmed. Investigators are still piecing together how the gunman got so close to a high-profile event with multiple weapons in play.