Torrance agents search home in D.C. dinner shooting probe | JQJO

WASHINGTON — Federal agents searched a home in Torrance, California, that law enforcement sources say is linked to Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old man from Torrance suspected of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. According to the Associated Press and Reuters, investigators have not publicly named Allen in official statements, but they believe he was the man who allegedly tried to rush into the ballroom during the event and was then tackled, after which shots were fired. The gunfire forced President Donald Trump and other senior officials to leave the dinner, and authorities said Trump was not injured.

TORRANCE, California — The FBI presence outside the Torrance residence drew both agents and reporters, as investigators searched the home and reviewed electronic devices and writings linked to the suspect. AP reports that investigators preliminarily believe he intended to target administration members who were attending the dinner, while Reuters notes that police have not yet established a final motive and were also examining whether he may have been a guest at the hotel. Reuters additionally reports that Allen appears to be a Caltech graduate who worked part-time as a teacher and game developer, previously worked as a mechanical engineer, and that AP linked a social media profile under the same name to years of employment at C2 Education.