The man accused of firing shots at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” in messages sent to his family moments before the attack, the AP reported on Sunday.
Authorities are approaching the writings as “some of the clearest evidence yet of the suspect’s mindset and possible motives.” The AP previously identified the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California.
Per reporting from The New York Post, Allen’s “anti-Trump manifesto” also issued a series of apologies to his parents, his students, colleagues and fellow travelers, as well as to “everyone who was abused and/or murdered before this, to all those who suffered before I was able to attempt this, to all who may still suffer after, regardless of my success or failure.”
Allen added that he does not expect to be forgiven. “I am a citizen of the United States of America,” he wrote. “What my representatives do reflects on me. And I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.”
He added that he intended to target administration officials (but not Kash Patel), the Secret Service (“if necessary”) and hotel security (though specified they were “not targets if at all possible”).
While guests were not his targets, Allen noted, “I would still go through most everyone here to get to the targets if it were absolutely necessary (on the basis that most people *chose* to attend a speech by a pedophile, rapist and traitor, and are thus complicit) but I really hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Also on Sunday, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker that authorities “do not have somebody who’s cooperating” at the moment, but they do not believe anyone else was involved.
“We know that there were some writings, and we’ve already spoken with several witnesses who knew him,” Blanche said. “And I kept it a little general because we do believe it was administration officials. Obviously President Trump is a member of the administration, the head of it, but as far as exacting threats that may have been communicated beforehand, we’re still actively investigating that evidence.”
The alleged shooter has been charged with two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, per U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro. His arraignment is set for Monday, where additional charges are expected to be announced.
