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White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller and his wife Katie Miller are escorted out of the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner after a shooting occurred on April 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

Breaking: WH Correspondents' Dinner Shooter Identified, Appears to Be Kamala Harris Donor on Public Listing

By Michael Austin April 25, 2026 at 8:38pm

The alleged shooter who disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday evening appears to have donated to the presidential campaign of now-former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Cole Allen, who is reportedly a teacher in Torrance, California, was arrested following gunfire at the event’s security screening, according to a report from the New York Post.

DC Police Chief Jeffrey Carroll said that “he was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives as he ran into that checkpoint.”

“At this point it does appear he is a lone actor, a lone gunman,” Carroll added. “There does not appear to be any sort of danger to the public.”

Allen, 31, seems to appear in Federal Election Commission records after donating $25 to the Harris campaign on Oct. 13, 2024.

🚨The attempted assassin at the WHCD is 31 year-old Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, California who made a $25 contribution via ActBlue on October 13, 2024, explicitly earmarked for “HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT”. pic.twitter.com/jw5xg61MoF

— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) April 26, 2026

The donation to the Democratic candidate sparked comments about rising leftist violence in the United States.

Many social media users noted that multiple high-profile assassination attempts on President Donald Trump — and a successful attempt on the life of conservative activist Charlie Kirk — were carried out by leftists.

pic.twitter.com/zcgVgZivwD

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 26, 2026

A federal law enforcement source confirmed to the New York Post that Allen worked as a teacher.

Trump issued a statement after the shooting commending “D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement,” who did “a fantastic job” in neutralizing the threat.

“They acted quickly and bravely. The shooter has been apprehended,” he said.

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Michael Austin

Managing Editor

SummaryMore Biographical InformationRecent PostsContact

Michael wrote for several entertainment news outlets before joining The Western Journal in 2020. He now serves as Managing Editor, which involves managing the editorial team and operations, guiding the publication's editorial direction, and writing, editing, curating and assigning stories as needed.

@mikeswriting

Michael Austin graduated from Iowa State University in 2019. During his time in college, he volunteered for both PragerU and Live Action. After graduation, Michael went on to work as a freelance journalist for various entertainment news sites before joining The Western Journal as an intern in early 2020.

Shortly thereafter, Michael was hired on as a staff writer/reporter. He now serves as Managing Editor, which involves managing the editorial team and operations, guiding the team's editorial direction, and writing, editing, curating and assigning stories as needed.

Birthplace

Ames, Iowa

Nationality

American

Education

Iowa State University

Topics of Expertise

Cultural Politics, Entertainment News, Christian-Conservatism