A manifesto believed to have been sent to family members by the perpetrator of the Washington DC shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association has provided law enforcement with crucial details regarding his choice of weapons and ammunition.
The suspected shooter, Cole Allen, reportedly dispatched a troubling anti-President Trump manifesto to his family shortly before carrying out the attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night, identifying himself as the “Friendly Federal Assassin.” He expressed his intention to target Trump administration officials, as reported by The Washington Post.
In the manifesto, Allen allegedly stated his plan to use buckshot instead of slugs to reduce casualties, mentioning, “I will also be using buckshot rather than slugs (less penetration through walls),” and confirming his readiness to harm everyone present, according to NYP.
A US official revealed that the disturbing note, sent around 10 minutes before the shooting, outlined his list of “targets,” which included “Administration officials (not including [FBI Director Kash] Patel)… prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest.”
“I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes,” Allen purportedly wrote in the manifesto, referring to allegations made by critics against Trump, which the President has denied.
Within the document, Allen allegedly referenced his Christian faith and presented arguments defending his planned actions. He also touched on controversial political issues such as the Trump administration’s actions against Venezuelan drug vessels and the detention of undocumented immigrants.
“Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed. I’m not the person raped in a detention camp. I’m not the fisherman executed without trial,” Allen is believed to have written in the document, which a family member handed to the police, according to a US official.
The manifesto also addressed Allen’s willingness to target individuals associated with the administration, although it did not explicitly mention the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Investigators discovered anti-Trump and anti-Christian content on the suspect’s social media profiles.
The individual accused of attempting to enter the ballroom during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner with firearms and knives had traveled extensively before the incident, as revealed by state officials. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche disclosed that the suspect had journeyed from California to Washington, where he had made prior arrangements at the hotel hosting the dinner. Despite his efforts to breach the event, he was subdued during a confrontation that resulted in shots being fired and led to the evacuation of President Donald Trump from the venue.
Blanche indicated that the suspect is believed to have obtained the firearms found on his person within the last few years and is expected to face multiple charges.
Video footage released by Trump captured the suspect attempting to bypass security barriers as Secret Service agents intervened. While one officer was struck on his bullet-resistant vest, he is recovering. The suspect was apprehended without harm but was taken for evaluation at a medical facility. Blanche confirmed that the suspect fired the shot that hit the Secret Service officer, who is expected to fully recover.
Online profiles linked to the suspect suggest he was a well-educated tutor and amateur video game developer.