Dem DA whose campaign sign sat on Cole Allen's lawn breaks silence, reveals close ties to family

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A Los Angeles County prosecutor says he knew the parents of the man accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and even had a campaign sign on their front lawn.

Paul Thompson, a Democratic deputy district attorney in the major crimes division, said he lives next door to Cole Tomas Allen’s family in Torrance and has known them for years. However, he insists the suspect himself remained largely a mystery.

“I didn’t really know the guy that’s accused of committing the crimes in DC last night. I know his parents. Obviously, we’ve been neighbors for a couple of years,” Thompson told the California Post.

Currently running for a Superior Court judgeship, Thompson confirmed that a campaign sign bearing his name had been placed on the Allens’ lawn with the father’s permission.

“I’m friends with his father. I know them to be really nonviolent and peaceful people and solid citizens and residents of our neighborhood here,” he added.

He described the parents as “pretty normal, non-violent and friendly,” noting he may have even interacted with them earlier the same day as the shooting.

As for Allen, Thompson said the 31-year-old “pretty much kept to himself,” despite still living at home with his parents.

A night of panic and chaos in DC

Authorities say Allen, a Caltech graduate, rushed a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun inside the Washington Hilton on Saturday, April 25, during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other senior officials attended the event. All of them were safely evacuated after the gunfire erupted.

Investigators believe Allen may have been targeting high-ranking government figures. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the suspect appeared to be gunning for members of the administration attending the dinner.

Officials are also reviewing writings allegedly linked to Allen that suggest he intended to attack government figures.

Sources say he had traveled from Southern California to Washington, DC, in the days leading up to the incident.

Shock back home in Torrance

Just hours after the shooting, federal agents descended on Allen’s family home in Torrance, with armored vehicles and tactical teams swarming the otherwise quiet neighborhood.

Neighbors watched the scene unfold, with many saying Allen had little interaction with those around him and showed no obvious warning signs.

“The one interaction I had was like, maybe he could be on the spectrum,” one neighbor reportedly said.

Allen, who worked for a tutoring and test prep company, had previously received professional recognition as he was named “teacher of the month” in late 2024, according to social media posts.

He graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, per his LinkedIn profile.

Federal Election Commission records show Allen made a one-time $25 donation to Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign in October 2024.

The investigation remains ongoing as federal agents continue searching the Torrance property and work to determine a motive behind the attack.