A 31-year-old California teacher made his first court appearance in Washington, D.C., on Monday, facing charges of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump following a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night. According to Antigua News Room, citing reporting from Time.com, Cole Tomas Allen was also charged with illegally transporting a firearm across state lines and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence — charges that collectively carry a potential life sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine addressed the court directly on the gravity of the allegations. "He attempted to assassinate the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump," Ballantine told the court. "We are asking the court to preventively detain Mr. Allen."
U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh granted prosecutors' request to keep Allen in custody pending further hearings. One of Allen's lawyers, Tezira Abe, noted that her client has no prior criminal record. Allen did not enter a plea during Monday's brief proceeding.
The Washington Metropolitan Police Department said Allen was armed with a shotgun, a handgun — both legally obtained in California — and a knife when he rushed a checkpoint just after 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. One law enforcement officer was injured in the incident and subsequently transported to hospital.
The shooting sent shock through the black-tie gathering. Journalists and other attendees ducked under tables and scrambled to the floor as Secret Service agents and security personnel moved quickly to escort high-ranking U.S. officials out of the room.
President Trump later posted blurry security footage on Truth Social showing a man running through a hallway of the hotel before security personnel drew their firearms. Trump also shared photographs of the suspect — believed to be Allen — shirtless, handcuffed, and face down on the floor surrounded by officers.
FBI Director Kash Patel appeared on Fox News Monday morning and said investigators worked with "a pretty quick turnaround" to build their case ahead of Monday's arraignment. "We're going to be able to present to the world in less than 36 hours almost, exactly what happened," Patel said. "This individual's entire background, entire background, who he knew, where he lived, who he was talking to, everything about the firearms, everything about the ballistics."
Allen, a resident of Torrance, California, describes himself on his LinkedIn profile as a "mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth." The profile indicates he worked as a part-time teacher at C2 Education — a college test preparation and counseling company — for over six years, and also as a self-employed indie game developer. Allen earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 2017, and a master's degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, in 2025.
Patel also told Fox News' "Fox and Friends" that the FBI's Behavior Analysis Unit is examining Allen's writings, emails, and social media activity, while conducting interviews to better understand his motivations.
Allen was registered as a "no party preference" voter in California. However, in a manifesto reportedly sent to his family just minutes before the attack, Allen referred to himself as a "Friendly Federal Assassin" and expressed a belief that it was his duty to target Trump Administration officials. The manifesto, first reported by the New York Post, stated, "I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes," without explicitly naming Trump.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on "Meet the Press" on Sunday that Allen was targeting Trump Administration officials, "likely including the President." Blanche added that authorities believe Allen traveled by train from California to Chicago and then to Washington, where he checked into the Washington Hilton Hotel as a guest for several nights before the annual event.
Before departing California, Allen also reportedly reached out to friends and students, describing his absence as a personal emergency, officials told the New York Times.
