The man accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, Cole Allen, led a life far removed from violence, according to his LinkedIn profile. The 31-year-old California resident worked as a part-time teacher and independent video game developer before allegedly traveling to Washington, D.C., and carrying out the attack.
Allen's LinkedIn describes him as a "Mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth." He graduated from Caltech in 2017 with a degree in mechanical engineering and recently earned a master's in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills. While at Caltech, he was involved in the Christian fellowship and the Nerf club.
He worked as a part-time instructor at C2 Education, a test prep and tutoring company, where he was named Teacher of the Month in December 2024. Allen also designed and built a video game called "Bohrdom," described on Steam as a "skill-based, non-violent asymmetrical fighting game loosely derived from a chemistry model."
In a 2017 ABC7 news segment, Allen showcased a prototype emergency brake for wheelchairs he developed while at Caltech. He lived in Torrance, California, and reportedly took a train from there to Chicago, then to D.C., where he allegedly opened fire at the Saturday event before being apprehended by the Secret Service.
Authorities say Allen penned a manifesto in which he referred to himself as a "Friendly Federal Assassin" and allegedly targeted Trump administration officials. President Trump said he had seen the manifesto and called Allen a "sick" and "troubled guy."