STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
About a dozen FBI agents spent the night searching a home in Torrance, California, where Cole Allen lived with his parents. Steve Futterman reports.
STEVE FUTTERMAN, BYLINE: The search attracted scores of people, including some students who were tutored by Allen. They say one thing is clear - this guy was sharp. Here's what 17-year-old 11th grader Jason said.
JASON: He was a very smart and intelligent guy. You could just, you know, tell by the way he taught me and with his mannerisms. He was a smart dude.
FUTTERMAN: Similar words came from another 17-year-old, Nick. Both say Allen helped them with their physics classes. NPR is using only their first names, since they are minors.
NICK: He was super smart. He knew his stuff. He - it's clear, like, he loved physics.
FUTTERMAN: Allen had the education credentials to back up those descriptions - a graduate of Caltech, one of the country's top science and engineering schools. There, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. Later, he earned a master's in computer science. NPR has not found any criminal records when conducting a background check of the suspect.
The investigation is in its early stages. Yesterday, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Allen made his way to D.C. by train, which has fewer security checks than in air travel. When Allen was apprehended at the hotel on Saturday, law enforcement said he had a handgun, a shotgun and a number of knives. And Allen also had a room at the hotel, which gave him greater access with less scrutiny compared to nonguests attending the dinner. NPR's Ava Berger spoke yesterday to Movses Janbazian, a pastor at Pasadena United Reformed Church. Cole Allen attended the church during his college days.
MOVSES JANBAZIAN: He was faithful in his attendance, and he was always friendly and courteous to everyone.
FUTTERMAN: Authorities have in their possession what the White House calls a manifesto. NPR has learned that in the documents, Allen discussed targeting members of the Trump administration.
For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Torrance, California. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.