Cole Tomas Allen Identified as Suspect in White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooting Federal authorities have identified Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, as the suspect in the shooting incident outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night. Allen was taken into custody after charging a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton Hotel armed with a shotgun, a handgun and knives. According to law enforcement sources, Allen wrote a manifesto prior to the attack in which he referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and stated his intent to target Trump administration officials, prioritizing them from highest-ranking to lowest. The document was shared with family members, including his brother, who alerted police in Connecticut after receiving it. President Donald Trump and other administration officials were quickly evacuated from the event after Allen attempted to enter the ballroom. He was tackled to the ground by security personnel, resulting in a chaotic scene in which shots were fired. Trump was unharmed and rushed off the stage. Investigators recovered additional writings from Allen’s home in Torrance and his hotel room at the Washington Hilton. In the manifesto, Allen expressed grievances against the administration, writing that he did not want its “crimes” to “coat [his] hands.” He also noted that whereas law enforcement, hotel employees, and guests were not his intended targets, he would still attack them if necessary to reach administration officials. Allen reportedly criticized security at the hotel as “notably lax” in his writings. He had traveled to Washington from Los Angeles and Chicago by train before checking into the hotel where the dinner was held. The shooting led to the cancellation of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shortly after it began. Authorities continue to investigate the motive and circumstances surrounding the incident.
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