Claim That White House Attacker’s Wife is of Indian Origin is False
After a shooting incident was reported during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in the United States, several claims about the attacker started circulating on social media. One such post alleges that the suspected attacker, Cole Tomas Allen, has an Indian wife named “Priyanka Rao,” and a passport in her name is being shared as proof.
Pakistani X handle Baba Thoka wrote, “The perpetrator of the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, with his Indian wife, Priyanka Rao.”
Sana Yousafzai wrote, “HUGE:— The perpetrator of the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, 31 year old Cole Tomas Allen, with his Indian wife, Priyanka Rao”
Dr.Sam Youssef wrote, “The alleged shooter of the fake shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, 31 year old Cole Tomas Allen, with his Indian wife, Priyanka Rao.”
Similarly, accounts named Bruce and @nabiha_pk have also shared the same claim.
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During the investigation, a keyword search led us to reports by The Washington Post and Hindustan Times. According to these reports, the person involved in the shooting during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, a resident of Torrance, California. Officials stated that he is a tutor and software developer from the same area. However, we did not find any information in any credible media reports about Tomas Allen’s wife.
In the next step of the investigation, we analyzed the viral image claimed to show Cole Tomas Allen and his wife using the Hive AI detection tool. The analysis indicated that the image is AI-generated.
A closer examination of the viral passport image of “Priyanka Rao” reveals multiple discrepancies. For example, the nationality field incorrectly mentions “Cole Thomas Allen” instead of “India,” and even contains a spelling error where “Tomas” is written as “Thomas.” Moreover, the passport lists the spouse’s name as “Priyanka Rao” itself. Such inconsistencies strongly suggest that the passport is fabricated.
In conclusion, the claim that the White House attacker has an Indian wife named Priyanka Rao is false. The viral images are AI-generated, the passport is fake, and no credible reports support this claim.
| Claim | Cole Tomas Allen’s wife is an Indian woman named Priyanka Rao. |
| Claimed by | Baba Thoka, Sana Yousafzai |
| Fact | The viral images are AI-generated, and multiple errors in the passport confirm it is fake. Moreover, there are no credible reports suggesting that Cole Tomas Allen has an Indian wife or that he is married at all. |
Also Read: No, White House Shooting Suspect Is Not of Indian Origin
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