The White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooter assembled his arsenal from two California stores in the months and years before the attack.
Cole Allen purchased a Maverick 12-gauge pump-action shotgun from Turner’s Outdoorsman in Torrance last August and a Armscor semi-automatic pistol from CAP Tactical Firearms in Lawndale in October 2023.
Allen was charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon after allegedly trying to storm the banquet in DC last night.
Agents revealed he was carrying a shotgun, a pistol and knives on him when he was taken down by officers just yards from President Trump.
Authorities also revealed Sunday he stored the weapons at his parents’ house in Torrance and regularly trained at a shooting range.
Turner’s Outdoorsman, which is near the suspect’s family home, bills itself as “Texas Freedom, California style” on its website.
Follow The Post’s live updates on the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner
It is a general outdoors store selling fishing gear, clothing and accessories — but also sells a wide range of pistols, rifles and shotguns.
It is managed by Jesse Sanchez, but the wider company is ran by CEO Bryan Harris. Meanwhile the pistol was bought from CAP Tactical Firearms, a family-run store run by Bill Mullen out of Lawndale.
Mullen, who established the store 10 years ago, sells rifles, handguns, ammo, tactical gear, knives, and shotguns at the modest looking store on Hawthorne Ave.
He told an LA website in 2017 he was fighting the stigma of firearms. “It is sometimes hard to remind people that not everyone who owns a firearm is a criminal,” he said.
Follow the latest on the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner:
- The security loopholes that allowed Cole Allen to get near White House Correspondents’ Dinner — as Trump says this proves need for his ballroom
- Inside WHCD shooter Cole Allen’s deadly arsenal of weapons — and the two California stores he bought them from
- Read WHCD gunman’s full anti-Trump manifesto
- WHCD shooting live updates: Suspect Cole Allen said he would have killed everybody at event to get to his Trump admin targets
“The most important factor behind the business is the product (firearms) coupled with our strong belief and understanding of our second amendment rights. We have the right to bear and keep arms- may it be for sport or self defense,” he continued.
Cap Tactical says on its website it abides by strict background checks and permitting rules. Calls to Mullen went unreturned.
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“We are a small family owned and operated firearms dealer, we give one on one service and seek to educate new shooters and bring families together through this sport. We have a clean, relaxed setting that is child and family friendly.” Mullen said in a previous interview.
Allen sent a manifesto to his family just 10 minutes before he opened fire at Saturday’s event.
In the 1,052-word missive exclusively obtained by The Post Sunday morning, Allen, 31, called himself the “Friendly Federal Assassin” and revealed he was trying to kill Trump administration officials.
President Trump, first lady Melania Trump and cabinet members were among the 2,5000 attendees of the annual event. The high-ranking officials were swiftly ushered out of the room after shots rang out.
A Secret Service agent was shot in the vest during the melee, and a shirtless Allen was soon taken into custody in the lobby of the Washington Hilton Hotel.
