Recently surfaced footage has offered a surprising glimpse into the past of the gunman accused of attempting a violent intrusion at a press dinner, allegedly with the intent to assassinate President Donald Trump.

The video, dating back a decade and acquired by Fox News Digital, features Cole Allen, who is now 31 years old. In this footage, Allen is seen showcasing his invention at the “Aging into the Future” conference, an event co-sponsored by St. Barnabas Senior Services in Los Angeles. During the conference, he is surrounded by fellow innovators as he presents a prototype for an emergency brake designed for wheelchairs. The device, constructed from simple PVC piping, was described by engineering experts as basic and not particularly sophisticated for a senior at Caltech.

This video starkly contrasts with the image of an angry radical now accused of trying to force his way into the Washington Hilton on Connecticut Avenue NW. Authorities allege this was part of a shocking plot to assassinate Trump administration officials during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

The footage reveals a very different side to Allen, who is otherwise being depicted through law enforcement interviews with his siblings and his writings in a manifesto. This portrayal is at odds with the narrative suggested by his past.

In response to this revelation, President Trump commented to Fox News on Sunday, reflecting on the nature of such plots, “You know, these assassins, they seem to be high IQ people, but they’re crazy.”

The FBI has now identified Allen as the suspect in the shooting Saturday night at the Washington Hilton, with his brother reporting to law enforcement authorities that Allen’s manifesto detailed allegedly deadly plans at the weekend gathering for journalists and administration officials.

Trump told Fox News, “The guy is a sick guy. When you read his manifesto, he hates Christians. That’s one thing for sure. He hates Christians, a hatred.” 

Trump said his family raised alarm bells with law enforcement. 

“He was a very troubled guy,” he said, later also calling him “disturbed.”

According to law enforcement officials, Allen also descended into anti-Trump hate, attending at least one of the three “No Kings” protests organized over the past year by groups including Democratic-leading nonprofits, like Indivisible, MoveOn and American Federation of Teachers, and a network of socialist organizations, including the People’s Forum, the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the ANSWER Coalition, funded by an American tech tycoon, Neville Roy Singham, living in Shanghai.

Cole Allen, the suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, speaks to ABC7 Los Angeles in 2017 about an invention he created for wheelchairs as a student at the California Institute of Technology. (KABC)

Almost a decade ago, Allen appeared to have very different priorities. 

In a news segment published in March 2017 by WABC in Los Angeles, Allen appears as a disciplined student at the California Institute of Technology, an elite institution known for admitting students with near-perfect test scores and training top-tier engineers and scientists.

Speaking in a flat, measured tone, Allen walked a reporter through the mechanics of his device, explaining how it could stabilize a wheelchair and prevent it from skidding. “The wheelchair brakes tend to lock the wheels but don’t actually lock the chair to the ground,” he explained.

Cole Allen demonstrates how his wheelchair invention works during an interview with ABC7 Los Angeles in March 2017. (KABC)

Kneeling beside the wheels of a wheelchair and fiddling with an assembly of QVC pipes between the wheels, he continued, “The deal with this is to prevent it from moving at all.”

A year later, Allen earned a mechanical engineering degree. While in college, he completed a competitive summer research fellowship at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, contributing to astrophysics work, according to his LInkedIn profile. He also developed complex technical projects, including a physics-based role-playing shooter game called “First Law,” as well as robotic systems and later another intricate game, “Bohrdom,” released on the Steam platform. Gaming experts said his “Bohrdom” game was very basic in its technical level.

After Caltech, Allen held down a job for only about a year before starting work as a tutor with C2 Education in 2020 and going on to earn a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, in 2025. C2 Education recognized Allen a “teacher of the month” in late 2024, according to a social media post.

Cole Allen in a graduation gown taken on an unknown date. (L) A suspect lies face down on the floor as law enforcement officers detain him following a security incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., on April 25, 2026. (Cole Allen/LinkedIn; @realDonaldTrump via Truth Social)

Records also show a small political donation during the 2024 election cycle to the Kamala Harris presidential race.

Allen now faces federal charges including using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer, with additional charges expected.

A Democratic lawmaker remained unyielding in his anti-MAGA stance shortly after an armed individual attempted to breach security and target officials from the Trump administration.

At the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night, a 31-year-old teacher from California, Cole Tomas Allen, attempted to dash past a security checkpoint. Armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives, his actions raised immediate alarm.

Allen exchanged gunfire with Secret Service personnel, hitting one officer’s bulletproof vest before being subdued and arrested. Fortunately, the agent is expected to recover fully, and no other injuries were reported.

The following morning, Maryland Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin shared his experiences from the dinner in an interview with CNN.

Journalist Dana Bash questioned Raskin, stating, “You’ve often expressed strong criticism against the president, similar to many Democrats. Does an incident like this make you reconsider your rhetoric?”

Seemingly taken aback, Raskin replied: ‘What rhetoric do you have in mind?’ 

‘Just talking about the fact that he is terrible for this country and so on and so forth. I understand that that’s your democratic right, but overall, do you have a responsibility?’ Bash then asked. 

Before she could finish the question, Raskin said: ‘I have no personal problem with Donald Trump at all. I mean, I talk about the policies of this administration, the authoritarianism like we saw on display in Minneapolis.’

Maryland Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin refused to confront his outward anti-MAGA sentiments during an interview with CNN on Sunday morning

Raskin appeared to be taken aback by a question about his rhetoric potentially inciting violence less than a day after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was attacked

A teacher from California named Cole Tomas Allen, 31, has been identified as the suspected shooter. He was tackled to the ground and arrested before he could kill anyone

The congressman from Maryland went on to discuss Alex Pretti and Renee Good, the American citizens who were fatally shot by ICE agents during immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, as well as people who have died in ICE custody.

‘I’m talking about policies. I don’t personalize it, and I certainly have never called the press the enemy of the people,’ Raskin continued.

That part of the congressman’s statement likely alluded to the shooter’s targeted event, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which brings together journalists and politicians at a black-tie gala every year.

Although Raskin denied making personal attacks against the president or inciting political violence with his rhetoric, he has been highly vocal in his critiques against the Trump administration.

At an April 16 congressional hearing for people who were separated from their children by ICE , the Democratic representative said: ‘This administration is focused on mass arrests, mass detention and deportation that are dividing our country in unprecedented ways.’

‘Federal agents simply started indiscriminately rounding up immigrants and American citizens who looked like immigrants, according to the agents,’ Raskin continued. 

‘They don’t target the worst of the worst, they are the worst of the worst,’ the representative then said, referencing Trump’s campaign promise to go after the ‘worst of the worst’ undocumented immigrants. 

Raskin’s last comment was heavily criticized by people who accused him of unfairly targeting law enforcement officials responsible for immigration enforcement. 

Raskin has been criticized for comments in which he vehemently criticized ICE. He was also the lead manager of Trump’s second impeachment trial in 2021 

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner descended into chaos after it was attacked. Secret Service agents were seen with their guns drawn as they gave people orders

The representative was also the lead manager of Trump’s second impeachment trial in 2021. The case was unsuccessful, and the Senate acquitted Trump.

Other Democrats have recently tapped Raskin’s expertise in that realm as they evaluate fresh efforts to impeach the president a third time or invoke the 25th Amendment.

The White House Correspondents’ Dinner descended into chaos as top administration officials were rushed to safety by Secret Service agents after the suspected gunman attempted to break into the event armed with multiple weapons.

Kerry Kennedy, the sister of Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr, was sitting next to Raskin at the dinner. She described her harrowing experience in a post on X shortly after the shooting and praised Raskin for ‘heroically’ protecting her. 

‘I hit the floor at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner mid conversation with Jamie, who heroically protected me, whispering, “You’re ok, you’re ok, you’re ok,”’ Kerry wrote. 

She added that her host from the Boston Globe lay on the ground while ‘furiously’ taking notes and that thousands of people in attendance took cover under tables and chairs before Secret Service agents and security secured and cleared the room. 

‘It was terrifying. But I am still grateful to the brave Secret Service, to my friends at the Boston Globe, and most especially to Jamie,’ Kerry concluded her tweet. 

The shooter is believed to have been targeting members of the Trump administration, according to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. 

Allen is seen after he was tackled to the ground and handcuffed by authorities

Harrowing surveillance footage captured the moment gun-wielding shooter Cole Tomas Allen stormed past security at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Blanche said officials believe the suspect traveled by train from California to Chicago and then on to Washington. He checked into the Washington Hilton Hotel, where the dinner was being hosted, days before the event.

Evidence found on Allen’s electronic devices points towards the theory that he intended to target administration members in attendance at the dinner.

‘It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,’ Blanche told NBC’s Meet the Press.

The suspect is believed to have purchased the firearms he carried within the last couple of years, Blanche said. He is not being cooperative and is expected to face multiple charges on Monday.

‘He failed,’ Blanche said. ‘Law enforcement did their jobs.’

Federal prosecutors have announced that Allen is being charged with two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.

He is expected to be arraigned in federal court on Monday.

If convicted, Allen could face 20 years in jail for the assault, while the weapons charges come with a minimum of ten years with a possibility of life behind bars if fired.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Cheryl Hines, are pictured ducking as they were escorted to safety by Secret Service agents 

House Speaker Mike Johnson being rushed out of the venue by Secret Service members

Allen is facing three charges, and more may be added in the near future. He is highly educated and has no prior criminal record

‘It is clear, based upon what we know so far, this individual was intent on doing as much harm and as much damage as he could,’ United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said.

‘There will be many more charges based upon the information that we are learning in this very fluid situation,’ she added.

Cops swarmed on Allen’s parents’ $877,000 home on Saturday night shortly after he was arrested.

Officials said Allen had no prior criminal record and was not previously known to law enforcement in Washington, DC.

He is one of four siblings, including two sisters, Stephanie and Arviana, and a brother, Gabriel, according to publicly available information.

Allen earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology and later a Master of Science in Computer Science from a California State University. 

On LinkedIn, he describes himself as: ‘A mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth.’

Kylie Jenner was spotted showcasing an eye-catching diamond ring on her right pinky during a night out with friends in Los Angeles.

The entrepreneur and Khy founder appeared delighted as she revealed the impressive jewel while dining at Sushi Park in West Hollywood alongside Malika Haqq and Yris Palmer on Friday.

For the casual outing, Jenner donned a chic ensemble featuring a leather short-sleeve top paired with jeans.

At 28 years old, Jenner has been known to sport a diamond pinky ring for several years now, with its first notable appearance in 2019 at her former boyfriend’s “Travis Scott: Look Mom I Can Fly” premiere.

In the same year, the reality TV star also treated her close friend, Stassie Karanikolaou, to a similarly stunning pinky ring.

At the time, Karanikolaou took to Instagram to thank Jenner for the new bling during a Los Angeles Clippers game, writing, “@kyliejenner you shouldn’t have.”

Moreover, recently, Jenner wore a similar ring to the Palm Springs International Film Festival awards gala with her boyfriend, Timothée Chalamet, in January.

The Kylie Cosmetics mogul sported the ring to accessorize her plunging orange gown, which appeared to be paying tribute to her boyfriend’s 2025 movie, “Marty Supreme.”

That same month, she pulled out all the stops while wearing 100 carats of diamonds, including several rings and 75-carat earrings, while at the 2026 Golden Globes.

Jenner also pulled out the sparkler as she channeled Jessica Rabbit in a red plunging gown to the 2026 Oscars in March.

The “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” alum attended several awards shows to support Chalamet, 30, this year.

The actor declared his love for Jenner while accepting the Critics Choice Awards for his performance in “Marty Supreme” in January.

“I would like to say thank you to my partner of three years,” he said in his acceptance speech. “Thank you for our foundation.”

The couple started dating in 2023 after Jenner called it quits with Scott, with whom she shares daughter Stormi, 8, and son Aire, 4.

Last month, Jenner got candid about her desire to “have more kids” in her 30s during an interview with Vanity Fair.