Authorities review writings of California teacher suspected of shooting

The day after a man opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, authorities are examining a message sent by the shooting suspect and trying to figure out what allegedly took him from his life as a respected California teacher to an assassin.

“Let me start by apologizing to anyone whose trust I abused,” reads a note that authorities say was sent by the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, Calif., who works as a part-time teacher and also develops video games, according to public records.

In the note that Allen allegedly sent to his family members before the attack, it was stated that he aimed to target administration officials and expressed his political anger, and said, “I do not expect to be forgiven.”

Allen was prone to making radical statements because he became involved in left-wing activism in Los Angeles, acquired firearms and began training regularly at a shooting range, his sister told law enforcement, according to the White House.

Officials said that this talk has turned into action in recent days. He boarded a train in Los Angeles and traveled to Chicago and then D.C., where he checked into the downtown hotel that hosts the annual dinner that included President Donald Trump and other senior administration officials.

The man arrived armed with a .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol and a 12-gauge shotgun, authorities told CNN. And he allegedly sent a written statement to family members calling himself a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and expressing anti-Trump sentiments before trying to pass security outside dinner Saturday night.

As Trump and other leaders scrambled for safety in the nearby ballroom, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told CNN that the suspect “fired several shots” and hit a Secret Service agent wearing a bulletproof vest before being quickly arrested.

Authorities are now reviewing the statement Cole allegedly sent and Trump’s social media history, which he described as “anti-Christian,” speaking with family members and wanting to learn more about what allegedly drove him to carry out the violent attack.

“We are still trying to understand the reason for this. Based on our preliminary investigation, it appears that the suspect targeted members of the administration,” Blanche said.

The memo laid out broadly a number of complaints that could lead officials to those motives, including anger over conditions in the detention camps and appearing to refer to Trump as a “traitor.”

The suspect in the attack is charged with two counts of use of a firearm and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro. Blanche said the suspect was not cooperating with authorities.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Allen attended the California Institute of Technology from 2013 to 2017, where he participated in the school’s Christian Fellowship organization and Nerf Club. Facebook photos from 2016 also show Allen at Christian Fellowship events at school.

As a student, Allen also appeared in a movie. local news report For developing an emergency brake prototype for wheelchairs in 2017.

He graduated in 2017 with a degree in mechanical engineering, according to his LinkedIn profile, and was featured in a CalTech graduation announcement released by the university, which included a photo of himself as an adult wearing a cardigan and a photo of himself as a cheerful young boy holding a plush rabbit.

After graduation, he found a job as a part-time teacher at C2 Education, an exam preparation and tutoring company. C2 has named Allen the company’s “teacher of the month” for December 2024, according to the company’s social media posts. No one answered C2’s phone number late Saturday evening.

He also said that he works as a video game developer and has published an indie game called Bohrdom for sale on the Steam gaming platform for $1.99. He registered a trademark for the game’s name in 2018, according to federal trademark records.

The game is described on Steam as “a skill-based, non-violent, asymmetrical fighting game, itself derived from a chemistry model loosely based in reality.”

Allen wrote on LinkedIn that he was “currently developing a second game called ‘First Law.’

According to the White House, his sister, who lives in Rockville, Maryland, told authorities that Allen had been involved in political activism in recent years, including by joining “The Wide Awakes,” a leftist group referring to the 1860s anti-slavery protesters who worked to elect Abraham Lincoln as president.

Allen donated $25 to Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign in October 2024, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives found records showing Allen purchased a .38-caliber semiautomatic handgun from a store in Southern California on Oct. 6, 2023. On August 17, 2025, Allen purchased a 12-gauge shotgun from another gun store in his hometown of Torrance.

The guns were purchased legally, and in both cases, Allen was required to submit his information for a background check through the FBI to determine that he was not wanted, subject to a restraining order, or not a convicted felon.

After taking the train from Los Angeles to D.C., the suspect checked into the Washington Hilton, which hosts the annual reporters’ dinner, Blanche said.

The White House said he sent letters to family members Saturday evening “clearly indicating that he intended to target administration officials.”

In the note, he apologized to his parents, colleagues, and students and stated that he did not intend to specifically target law enforcement; but added: “If it were absolutely necessary, I would still go over most everyone here to achieve the goals.”

In the message, the suspect argued that his attack did not conflict with Christian values ​​and wrote: “Turning the other cheek when *someone else* is under pressure is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the crimes of the oppressor.”

The memo ended on a note of anger: “I feel anger when I think about everything this administration has done.”

After receiving the message, his brother contacted the New London Police Department in Connecticut to express his concern, and other family members also reached out to police departments.

Inside the hotel, the suspect attacked through the security checkpoint outside the ballroom. The Secret Service agent who was shot in the attack was treated and released from the hospital, officials said.

Law enforcement then began working to piece together Allen’s movements and possible motives; The White House said Secret Service agents and Montgomery County Police interviewed the suspect’s sister in Rockville, and FBI agents gathered outside a home linked to Allen in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance.

Police tape was put up on part of the street and a spotlight was shined on the house. Scores of reporters had gathered at the scene and news helicopters were hovering overhead.

A next-door neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous, told CNN he wasn’t sure if Allen lived on the property. They said they didn’t see him often, but he was there “a few days ago.” The neighbor said that the armed suspect’s father was friendly and talkative, and that they talked often.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Curt Devine, Scott Glover and Majlie de Puy Kamp contributed reporting.

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