Alleged gunman Cole Allen’s manifesto says he was targeting administration officials
Washington: A manifesto the suspected reporters’ dinner gunman allegedly wrote in the minutes before the attack suggests he targeted a wide range of Trump administration officials and referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin.”
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from California, is due to appear in court on Monday (US time) for allegedly wounding a Secret Service agent with a handgun and a 12-gauge shotgun by security guards at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night.
President Donald Trump confirmed the existence of the manifesto and said it showed the suspect was a “sick” and “very troubled man” who hated Christians.
Allen allegedly sent the document to family members shortly before the attack. They contacted police in New London, Connecticut, and were interviewed that evening.
New York Post It was published a copy of the alleged manifestoIt outlined the shooter’s targets as well as what he did not target. He also expressed surprise in a footnote at what he described as a lack of adequate security at the hotel.
According to the document obtained to mailAllen’s targets were administration officials “prioritized from highest to lowest,” expressly excluding FBI director Kash Patel.
In the section explaining why he tried to kill, he wrote: “I am a citizen of the United States. The actions of my agents reflect on me. And I will no longer allow a pedophile, rapist and traitor to cover my hands with their crimes.”
This imprint has not independently verified the authenticity of the alleged manifesto published by the United States. to mail. The White House and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
However, White House sources told US media that the attacker’s writings “clearly indicate that he intends to target administration officials.”
It is unclear whether Allen’s family reported the alleged manifesto to police before or after the shooting at the Hilton hotel.
The White House stated that local police in Connecticut were notified minutes before the attack, but the New London Police Department said in a statement that the first contact was made at 10:49 pm, that is, two hours later.
Trump was unimpressed when he appeared on Fox News on Sunday (US time). “I heard that [New] “I wish they would tell us a little about the situation in London, but this is the situation,” he said.
The Associated Press, citing law enforcement sources, reported that Allen legally purchased a semiautomatic handgun in October 2023 and a 12-gauge shotgun last year.
Social media posts that appeared to match Allen showed him to be a highly educated teacher and amateur video game developer. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 2017.
A LinkedIn page matching his name and appearance shows that he posted a photo in cap and gown last year, where he noted that he had earned a master’s degree in computer science.
Investigators were still trying to find out how and why the 31-year-old decided to target senior Trump administration officials on the night in question.
He is believed to have traveled by train from California to Chicago and then to Washington, where he checked into a hotel as a guest days before the gala dinner.
Amid criticism of lax security at the venue and confusion as Trump and other senior officials were escorted from the ballroom, Trump praised the Secret Service and Washington police.
“They were extraordinary. They stopped him in cold blood,” Trump said. “I thought the Secret Service and law enforcement (including D.C. police) were great.”
Trump said in his speech on Fox News that the incident showed the need for the ballroom in the White House (the 1,000-seat ballroom he commissioned in the old East Wing).
“Presidents have wanted this for 150 years just because they want a big area. But the military and the Secret Service have wanted this for many years,” he said. “Now everyone knows how much this is needed.”
Security concerns briefly raised a question mark over the upcoming state visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla, who are due to arrive in Washington on Monday (US time). However, Buckingham Palace confirmed that the trip would go ahead after discussions between both parties.
Trump also stated that the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner for Washington’s media and political elite will be rescheduled in about 30 days.
“We cannot allow these criminals and these truly bad people to change the course of events in our country,” he said on Fox.
Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, said the organization’s board of directors will meet to decide how to proceed. He expressed his gratitude to the Secret Service and all law enforcement personnel.
“Our dinner is to celebrate the First Amendment and the hard daily work of the journalists who defend it,” Jiang said.
“Last night, these journalists showed exactly the calmness and courage required to do the job and got to work reporting immediately after the incident occurred. We are proud of everyone in that room.”
Trump also spent part of Sunday taping an interview with CBS. 60 MinutesIt will air later Sunday night (US time).
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Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political correspondent in Canberra.Connect with: X or email.
