WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 25: U.S. President Trump is making a statement after the cancellation of the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner due to a possible shooting. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images) , X

by Phenix S Halley, The Root

The alleged gunman who tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ dinner was quickly taken into custody following the chaotic scene on Saturday (April 25). Now, more information about Cole Thomas Allen has been released. Here’s what we know.

We previously told you President Donald Trump and all other members of his cabinet were rushed to safety following several shots fired at the Washington Hilton hotel, where the annual dinner was being held. Minutes before Allen allegedly stormed the building, he sent copies of his manifesto to several family and friends, according to reports. 

Inside the shocking decree, the 31-year-old referred to himself as the “Cole ‘coldForce’ ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ Allen,” before listing his targets and motivations behind the drastic attack.

“So I may have given a lot of people a surprise today. Let me start off by apologizing to everyone whose trust I abused,” he began. “I don’t expect forgiveness, but if I could have seen any other way to get this close, I would have taken it.”

Allen went on to explain his frustrations with the current administration and its many controversial policies. “I am a citizen of the United States of America. What my representatives do reflects on me,” he said. “And I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.”

The Saturday attack marks at least the third assassination attempt on the president. According to Allen– who put Trump as the first on his hit list– he allegedly took action after repeatedly watching the unprecedented actions by Trump and his officials.

“The United States of America are ruled by the law, not by any one or several people,” Allen continued. “Insofar as representatives and judges do not follow the law, no one is required to yield them anything so unlawfully ordered.”

Originally from Torrance, Calif., Allen worked as a teacher before allegedly plotting to kill the president. LinkedIn shows he graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He later earned a master’s degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills, in computer science in 2025.

After working as an engineer, Allen became an independent game developer and part-time teacher. He allegedly traveled across the country days before the Saturday attack. Officials noted he did not have a criminal record before the Saturday incident, NBC News reported. Still, members of his family reportedly warned police about him way before the attack took place, according to Trump.

The White House shared that Allen’s brother contacted police in Connecticut, after receiving his manifesto. Still, that didn’t stop Allen from rushing into the hotel building and getting extremely close to allegedly killing the president. 

Authorities confirmed Allen is the primary and only suspect in the ongoing investigation. He was allegedly armed with a shotgun, handgun and several knives at the time of the attack. During a quick altercation with security, Allen was subdued. Trump shared surveillance footage of Allen’s dash and his arrest to social media. 

Interestingly, Allen made note of what he called a supreme “level of incompetence” by Trump’s security and Secret Service. “I expected security cameras at every bend, bugged hotel rooms, armed agents every 10 feet, metal detectors out the wazoo,” he added. “What I got (who knows, maybe they’re pranking me!) is nothing.”