Former Student and Classmates Express Shock Over White House Shooting Suspect Cole Tomas Allen

A former student of White House shooting suspect Cole Allen said he seemed to be like a 'completely average guy' who showed no possibility of doing anything like what he did. "It's bizarre," the former student said as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen opened fire outside the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

The Caltech grad recently won a "teacher of the month" award. Allen had a shotgun, a handgun and knives and he was a guest at the Washington Hilton where the dinner was taking place.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told NBC News that Allen told police he was going after "administration officials" but probably was not targeting anyone in particular and was alone. Allen never came across as capable of doing something like this, a former classmate said.

George Daghlian, who was in the Caltech Christian Fellowship club with Allen, told the Wall Street Journal that he was in shock. He also pursued a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Allen worked as a teacher at C2 Education, a private tutoring and test-prep company, where he was named teacher of the month in December of 2024, according to a LinkedIn post. Allen was registered as having no party preference, according to voting records. He donated $25 to ActBlue in 2024 with the memo “Earmarked for Harris for President,” according to Federal Election Commission filings.

Allen lives in Torrance, about 15 miles from downtown Los Angeles. The FBI raided the home late Saturday and spoke to the neighbors as well. Allen is scheduled to appear in court on Monday. He is being charged with two counts—using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on federal officers using a dangerous weapon. According to reports, Allen apparently trekked from Los Angeles to Chicago before heading to Washington, DC.