The suspect in the shooting incident near the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton has been identified as Cole Allen, a 31-year-old computer scientist from Torrance, California.

According to public records and online profiles, Allen had a background in engineering and game development. He reportedly created a shooter-style role-playing game called First Law and later developed another physics-based game titled Bohrdom.

Reports indicate he studied mechanical engineering at the California Institute of Technology, graduating in 2017, and also participated in research at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory focused on astrophysics. He later pursued a master’s degree in computer science at California State University, Dominguez Hills, completing it in 2025.

His professional experience includes working in education with C2 Education, where he was recognized as “Teacher of the Month” in late 2024.

Authorities say Allen allegedly attempted to breach a Secret Service checkpoint while armed during the event.