BBC Verify has been looking into the online presence of the suspected Washington gunman.
Los Angeles County’s voter registration records appear to show he had registered no party preference. According to a Federal Election Commission record, seen by BBC Verify, in October 2024 Allen donated $25 (£18.5) to the fundraising platform ActBlue with the money earmarked for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.
Allen describes himself as a mechanical engineer, game developer and teacher on LinkedIn. According to his profile, he studied mechanical engineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) – a highly competitive university – where he took part in its Christian fellowship.
He graduated with a master’s in computer science in 2025 from California State University, Dominguez Hills, marking the milestone by sharing a photo of himself in graduation robes to LinkedIn.
He also developed and released a game called “Bohrdom” to the gaming platform Steam.
On Facebook, photos of Allen, which we’ve matched to those of his arrest at the hotel, show him smiling in family photographs at Christmas and graduation events.
In December 2024 he was named teacher of the month by C2 Education, which offers tutoring and college test preparation to students, according to the organisation’s Facebook post. He has been a part-time teacher there since 2020, his LinkedIn profile says.
BBC Verify is continuing to look into Allen’s social media and online presence.
