Following the attack at theWhite House Correspondents' Dinner, scrutiny has shifted sharply towards the suspect's personal life. Authorities detained 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, from Torrance, Los Angeles, after the assault at the Washington Hilton, a high-profile gathering attended by President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and numerous administration officials.
As investigators probe his background, unfounded social media speculation has gained traction. Unverified accounts started spreading rumours that the suspected shooter is married to a woman of Indian descent. But a quick fact-check proved these viral claims wrong, showing that people were just sharing edited photos to mislead the public.
The viral narrative claims that the 31-year-old is married to someone named Priyanka Rao. Posts featured supposed photographic evidence, pairing an image of the two together with a picture of a passport. '31 year old Cole Tomas Allen, with his Indian wife, Priyanka Rao. Why do they always have three names?,' wrote one user.
Profiles popular within specific political spheres, such as 0HOUR1, amplified the marital allegations to a massive audience. Even though the post went viral, taking a closer look at the uploaded documents immediately revealed some obvious mistakes. The passport image proved to be a poorly executed digital manipulation.
The falsified travel document incorrectly lists the nationality of the supposed wife as Cole Tomas Allen, exposing the fabrication. No credible evidence exists to support the theory of a hidden spouse. Major news outlets have not mentioned anything about him having a wife, girlfriend or any serious relationship at all.
Rather than living with a partner, official accounts confirm the man resided at his childhood home. He shared a residence with his parents in Torrance, where locals frequently observed him riding a blue moped. Paul Thompson, a neighbour, told NBC that the suspect was 'not necessarily friendly.'
Thompson elaborated on the family dynamic, noting he had not noticed anything unusually alarming about the younger man's behaviour. He explained that the suspect's 'parents are nice, friendly people,' and added that the 'father especially knows everybody.' This starkly contrasts the profile of a married man.
We also learned more about his plans from what his relatives shared. His sister actually confirmed that he bought two handguns and a shotgun from CAP Tactical Firearms. These weapons were subsequently stored at the residence he shared with his parents.
Even AI fact-checking systems debunked the marital assertions. The chatbot Grok was asked about the image and replied, 'The man in your photo matches Cole Allen, the suspected WHCD shooter. No news reports mention a wife, girlfriend, or significant other—only his parents, sister, and brother in Torrance, CA. It could be an older photo, a friend, or unreported. Interesting point on the lack of details there.'
The perpetrator of the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, 31 year old Cole Tomas Allen, with his Indian wife, Priyanka Rao.pic.twitter.com/jfzksax2G7
Source: International Business Times UK
