A gunman who attempted to storm a Washington gala dinner attended by the U.S. president outlined plans to target senior administration officials in a manifesto sent shortly before the attack.
The suspect was detained after an exchange of gunfire at the Washington Hilton, where the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was taking place. He was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and knives. He is expected to be formally charged in a federal court.
U.S. media identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from California, who had travelled by train from Los Angeles to Washington via Chicago.
According to reports, Allen sent a 1,052-word manifesto to family members about 10 minutes before the attack, outlining his intentions and what he described as “rules of engagement.” In the message, he wrote: “
I don’t expect forgiveness, but if I could have seen any other way to get this close, I would have taken it.
He described administration officials as “targets” and indicated they were to be prioritized “from highest-ranking to lowest,” while stating that others, including hotel staff and guests, were “not targets at all.”
Allen also wrote that he would act “in order to minimize casualties,” adding that he would use buckshot “rather than slugs.”
In the manifesto, he justified his actions by saying he was “no longer willing to permit” the U.S. president (whom he does not specifically name) “to coat” his hands “with his [the president’s] crimes.”
Witnesses described chaotic scenes inside the ballroom, where attendees—including President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other senior officials—took cover as Secret Service agents secured the venue.
