Gunman in Attack at Correspondents’ Dinner Called Himself ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ in Writings to Family

The man accused of attempting an attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner will head for arraignment on Monday, but evidence of his intent is growing as law enforcement officials shared a “manifesto” outlining a series of grievances about the Trump administration.The suspect, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, referred to himself as a “friendly federal assassin” in writings sent to family members shortly before charging through a security checkpoint at a Washington hotel and opening fire outside the ballroom where President Trump was preparing to speak Saturday night.Mr. Allen was allegedly armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and several knives. He exchanged gunfire with law enforcement before making it down a flight of stairs to the ballroom, the interim police chief for the Metropolitan Police Department, Jeff Carroll, told reporters.The writings never named Mr. Trump but referred to several recent administration actions, an unnamed law enforcement official told the Associated Press. The official also said the gunman had made numerous anti-Trump social media posts.The official said that Mr. Allen’s brother contacted police in New London, Connecticut, after receiving the writings. The New London Police Department released a statement confirming it “was contacted by an individual who expressed concern about the incident” and “wanted to share information they believed to be pertinent to the matter.” The police said they contacted federal law enforcement and shared the information.Mr. Trump first referred to the writings as a “manifesto” and said they also contained anti-Christian messages.“Turning the other cheek when someone else is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes,” reads the manifesto read, according to an official who spoke to Reuters.White House officials also said that Mr. Allen’s sister, Avriana Allen, who lives in the D.C. suburb of Rockville, Maryland, told investigators that her brother was a member of a group called The Wide Awakes, a group that dates back to young Republicans backing Abraham Lincoln in 1860, and had attended a “No Kings” protest in California. He spoke increasingly in radical terms about doing “something” to address global issues and had trained regularly at a shooting range after legally purchasing guns that he then stored in his parents’ home without their knowledge.The gunman “set out to target folks that work in the administration, likely including the president,” the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, told CBS News on Sunday morning. Mr. Blanche says the initial evidence indicates that he acted alone but says the investigation is continuing.Mr. Trump and other administration officials were rushed from the ballroom and were not injured. At a White House news conference a short time later, the president called the shooter a “lone wolf’ and a “whack job”.A LinkedIn page believed to be linked to the gunman lists Mr. Allen as a 2017 graduate of California Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He also lists a 2025 masters of science degree in computer science from California State University. Mr. Allen worked for an academic preparation company that tutored students for tests. C2 Education named Mr. Allen a teacher of the month in 2024, according to a company LinkedIn post.Mr. Allen had no party affiliation on his voter registration but he had donated $25 to ActBlue in 2024 with the memo “Earmarked for Harris for President,” according to records reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.Mr. Allen has no criminal record and was not on the radar of law enforcement, NBC News reported. Mr. Blanche told Fox News the suspect bought the guns within the past few years and took a train from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington. He then checked into the Washington Hilton on Friday, the day before Saturday night’s gala.The suspect was not shot but was taken to a hospital to be checked out after being taken into custody. He is expected to face a federal judge on Monday. He faces two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and a second crime of assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, the United States attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro said. Ms. Pirro added that more charges are expected.A Secret Service officer was shot in the exchange of gunfire with the suspect and was later released from the hospital.The FBI executed a search warrant on a Los Angeles-area home late Saturday night that is believed to be linked to the suspect. They also searched his hotel room at the Washington Hilton.Congressman Mike Lawler, who was in the ballroom during the incident, said security at the event was “woefully insufficient.” In an interview on CNN on Sunday morning he said guests only needed to provide tickets to the event and no photo identification was required. But Mr. Blanche countered that security at the event had worked. “Let’s not forget that the suspect didn’t get very far,” Mr. Blanche said. “He barely broke the perimeter and by barely, I mean a few feet. The system worked.”“A coward attempted to create a national tragedy. He underestimated the protective capabilities of the U.S. Secret Service, and was stopped at first contact,” the Secret Service’s deputy director, Matthew Quinn, said in a statement.Mr. Trump said the attack is an example of why the White House ballroom needs to be built. The Court of Appeals for Washington, D.C. is temporarily allowing work to continue ahead of a June hearing on the lawsuit seeking to block construction.“This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret Ballroom currently under construction at the White House,” Mr. Trump said in a Sunday morning Truth Social post. “It cannot be built fast enough! While beautiful, it has every highest level security feature there is plus, there are no rooms sitting on top for unsecured people to pour in, and is inside the gates of the most secure building in the World, The White House.”This is the third attempted assassination of Mr. Trump in less than two years. Mr. Trump was shot in the ear at a pre-election rally in July 2024 at Butler, Pennsylvania. A few months later, a man fired shots at the course while Mr. Trump played golf at his West Palm Springs resort in Florida.

Gunman in Attack at Correspondents’ Dinner Called Himself ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ in Writings to Family

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