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TORRANCE, California — In a dramatic turn of events late Saturday, the FBI executed a raid on the residence of Cole Allen, the individual suspected of disrupting the White House Correspondents’ Dinner with gunfire. The typically tranquil suburbs of Los Angeles were engulfed in tension as law enforcement descended on the scene.
Allen, a 31-year-old who graduated in mechanical engineering from CalTech, allegedly initiated chaos by breaching a security checkpoint and firing a shotgun inside the Washington Hilton during the prestigious annual event. This information comes from sources within law enforcement.
As the night unfolded, a convoy of FBI vehicles, including armored trucks, surrounded Allen’s Torrance home. Agents, dressed in camouflage tactical gear, moved swiftly to secure the area, hours ahead of The Post’s arrival.
According to ABC 7, brief interactions took place between the home’s occupants and the federal agents on the porch. The tense atmosphere was heightened as a spotlight from one of the trucks illuminated the property, primarily the second-floor window overlooking the driveway.
Reports indicate that agents made their initial entry into the residence just before midnight, marking a crucial step in the ongoing investigation.
The highly anticipated White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the first Trump has attended as president, came to a screeching halt when a gunman cut past security and opened fire mere steps away from the packed ballroom.
The president and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the room by security — followed by Vice President JD Vance and a slew of other top officials.
Follow the latest on the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner:
Trump later shared pictures of Allen, shirtless and subdued while officers pinned him to the floor, on TruthSocial.
While Allen wasn’t formally identified as the suspect during Saturday’s press conference, Trump did repeatedly note that the “sick” gunman hailed from California.
Sources told ABC 7 that Allen apparently trekked from Los Angeles, just outside of his hometown, to Chicago before heading to Washington, DC.
Neighbor Jeff Smith said he met Allen one time.
“The one interaction I had was like, maybe he could be on the spectrum,” he said.