Fox News88%

Who is Cole Allen? California man named as suspect in White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting 27%

By Peter D'Abrosca0% Asra Nomani0%

4/26/2026, 3:57:41 AM

BS Summary: This article contains 14 faulty reasoning types, including Attempt to Sell a Product or Service, Availability Heuristic, and Negativity Bias, with Framing Effect as the most egregious example at 19.6% saturation with 109 hits. Analysis detected 673 faulty-reasoning hits from 556 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 38.7% and a BS Rank of 27% (14,974 of 20,452 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 73.20% of the article peer group.

The man accused of opening fire at the Washington Hilton Hotel during the White House Correspondents' Dinner has been identified as Cole Allen, 31, a computer scientist from Torrance, California who went from designing first-person shooter games to becoming an alleged shooter himself. 
According to his LinkedIn profile and online records, Allen’s life and career trace an accomplished path as a computer scientist, engineer and independent game developer, even building a shooter role-playing game called "First Law." 
In September 2013, according to his online profile, he enrolled in the highly competitive California Institute of Technology, known as CalTech, to pursue a BS in mechanical engineering, graduating in 2017. 
CalTech confirmed to Fox News Digital that a student named Cole Allen graduated from the school in 2017. 
PRESIDENT TRUMP RUSHED FROM WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER AFTER SHOTS FIRED, SUSPECT HELD In the summer of 2014, he wrote that he landed another competitive spot as a summer undergraduate research student fellow at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he said he contributed to astrophysics research. 
That summer, his profile says, he created "First Law," a physics-based role-playing shooter game based on realistic two-dimensional space combat. 
At CalTech, he also built offensive and defensive robotic systems, according to his LinkedIn profile. 
He later made "Bohrdom," a complex 2-D physics-based video game that he described as a "combination of a racing game with a bullet hell as experienced by self-propelled pinballs," released on the popular Steam gaming platform, according to his profile. 
FORMER US GYMNAST OPENS UP ON ‘TERRIFYING’ MOMENT SHOTS WERE FIRED AT WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER Beginning in March 2020, his LinkedIn profile says, he joined C2 Education, a tutoring company, enrolling at California State University, Dominguez Hills, in 2022 to pursue an MS in computer science, graduating in May 2025. 
That school also confirmed that a person by the same name graduated with a master’s degree that year. 
A Dec. 
30, 2024 Facebook post from C2 Education congratulated "Cole Allen of C2 Education Torrence on being honored as December teacher of the month." 
A photo matching that of Allen was attached to the post. 
According to Federal Election Commission records, Allen donated $25 to Kamala Harris during the 2024 election cycle. 
During a news conference late Saturday night, authorities said that Allen rushed a Secret Service checkpoint at the White House Correspondents' Dinner armed with multiple weapons. 
He then opened fire on a Secret Service officer, who was taken to the hospital after he was shot in his ballistic vest. 
Agents fired back at Allen, who was not struck. 
He was also taken to the hospital. 
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro told reporters at the press conference that Allen has been charged with two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon. 
Pirro said that more charges are expected. 
President Donald Trump was whisked away from the venue by the Secret Service along with first lady Melania Trump and other high-level Cabinet officials. 
Trump described Allen as a "lone wolf" and a "very sick person." 
No other injuries were reported. 
Fox News Digital reached out to C2 Education. 
Article reasoning-pattern comparisonThis article: 2.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 6.9%Fox Nation: 4.1%Confirmation Bias2.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 1.9%Fox Nation: 1.2%Anchoring Bias0.0%This article: 11.3%Peter D'Abrosca: 5.9%Fox Nation: 3.6%Availability Heuristic11.3%This article: 7.7%Peter D'Abrosca: 1.3%Fox Nation: 1.1%Representativeness Heuristic7.7%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 1.7%Fox Nation: 0.9%Hindsight Bias0.0%This article: 1.3%Peter D'Abrosca: 1.6%Fox Nation: 3.1%Overconfidence Bias1.3%This article: 19.6%Peter D'Abrosca: 11.4%Fox Nation: 12.0%Framing Effect19.6%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.3%Fox Nation: 0.6%Loss Aversion0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.3%Fox Nation: 0.9%Status Quo Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.3%Fox Nation: 0.1%Sunk Cost Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 4.4%Fox Nation: 2.8%Optimism Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 2.9%Fox Nation: 1.7%Pessimism Bias0.0%This article: 11.2%Peter D'Abrosca: 12.7%Fox Nation: 10.9%Negativity Bias11.2%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 2.1%Fox Nation: 2.7%Self-Serving Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.9%Fox Nation: 1.4%Fundamental Attribution Error0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.1%Fox Nation: 0.3%Actor-Observer Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 2.5%Fox Nation: 3.2%In-Group Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 1.2%Fox Nation: 2.0%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias0.0%This article: 6.1%Peter D'Abrosca: 3.3%Fox Nation: 2.9%Halo Effect6.1%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.5%Fox Nation: 0.4%Horn Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.0%Fox Nation: 0.0%Dunning-Kruger Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 1.0%Fox Nation: 1.4%Recency Bias0.0%This article: 9.7%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.7%Fox Nation: 0.5%Primacy Effect9.7%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.0%Fox Nation: 0.1%Blind-Spot Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 1.2%Fox Nation: 2.5%Ad Hominem0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.8%Fox Nation: 0.7%Straw Man0.0%This article: 6.5%Peter D'Abrosca: 10.4%Fox Nation: 5.1%Appeal to Authority6.5%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.4%Fox Nation: 1.8%False Dilemma0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.9%Fox Nation: 1.1%Slippery Slope0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.0%Fox Nation: 0.2%Circular Reasoning0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 6.2%Fox Nation: 6.1%Hasty Generalization0.0%This article: 9.2%Peter D'Abrosca: 1.1%Fox Nation: 0.6%Red Herring9.2%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 1.3%Fox Nation: 0.8%Bandwagon0.0%This article: 2.2%Peter D'Abrosca: 7.6%Fox Nation: 7.8%Appeal to Emotion2.2%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.6%Fox Nation: 1.3%Begging the Question0.0%This article: 7.7%Peter D'Abrosca: 1.4%Fox Nation: 2.7%Post Hoc (False Cause)7.7%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.1%Fox Nation: 0.3%Tu Quoque0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 1.4%Fox Nation: 0.6%Burden of Proof0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.1%Fox Nation: 0.2%Appeal to Nature0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.1%Fox Nation: 0.2%Composition/Division0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 3.3%Fox Nation: 2.3%Anecdotal0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.1%Fox Nation: 0.2%No True Scotsman0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 2.3%Fox Nation: 1.6%Ambiguity (Equivocation)0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.0%Fox Nation: 0.0%Gambler’s Fallacy0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.0%Fox Nation: 0.1%Middle Ground0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.0%Fox Nation: 0.1%Personal Incredulity0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.1%Fox Nation: 0.2%Special Pleading0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.4%Fox Nation: 0.6%Genetic Fallacy0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 1.1%Fox Nation: 1.7%Unattributed Quote0.0%This article: 8.3%Peter D'Abrosca: 1.7%Fox Nation: 1.4%Quote-first Misdirection8.3%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 4.8%Fox Nation: 6.2%Biased Writer Voice0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 1.0%Fox Nation: 1.4%Indoctrination0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 0.3%Fox Nation: 0.3%Politically Left Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Peter D'Abrosca: 2.8%Fox Nation: 3.4%Politically Right Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 18.3%Peter D'Abrosca: 1.9%Fox Nation: 1.4%Attempt to Sell a Product or S…18.3%

556 words analyzed.

Speakers

6speakers15%attributed speech470writer words
Voice mapSelect a segment to jump to its words
Writer's voice • 4 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 11 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 43 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 34 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 31 words • 0.0% coverageCalTech • 18 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 46 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 20 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 15 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 40 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 51 words • 100.0% coverageCalifornia State University, Dominguez Hills • 18 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 2 words • 0.0% coverageC2 Education • 23 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 11 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 17 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 26 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 23 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 9 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 7 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 51 words • 100.0% coverageJeanine Pirro • 7 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 24 words • 0.0% coverageDonald Trump • 12 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 5 words • 0.0% coverageFox News Digital • 8 words • 0.0% coverage
Selected voice

Donald Trump

100%flagged-word coverage
12 attributed words14% of attributed speech81% writer coverage
0%12.5%25.0%Attempt to Sell a Product -21.7 ptsWriter: 21.7%Donald Trump: 0.0%0.0%Quote-first Misdirection-9.8 ptsWriter: 9.8%Donald Trump: 0.0%0.0%

Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.

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Analysis

Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.