Washington: A California man charged in the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner shooting vented rage against Trump policies and styled himself a “Friendly Federal Assassin” in messages to relatives sent moments before the incident—an assault officials increasingly deem politically driven, per a note obtained by The Associated Press.
Law enforcement is scrutinizing these documents, alongside the suspect’s anti-Trump online trail and kin interviews, as prime windows into his motivations.
Family Alerts Authorities, Reveals Weapon Stash
The accused, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, allegedly approached a security post at the event packing guns and blades. Probes uncovered a slew of his social media rants targeting Trump.
Allen’s sibling in Connecticut tipped off New London police at 10:49 p.m.—roughly two hours after shots rang out—handing over the messages, said a law enforcement source not cleared to speak publicly.
New London police confirmed the contact and swift relay to feds. Allen’s Maryland-based sister informed agents he lawfully acquired arms — a .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol in October 2023 and a 12-gauge shotgun two years on — from a California dealer, hiding them in their parents’ Torrance home without their knowledge. She painted him as given to wild declarations, the source added.
The AP-reviewed text ran over 1,000 words. It started with a casual “hello everybody!” It included apologies to family, coworkers, and bystanders; complaints and goodbyes; political anger, religious reasons, and replies to critics. Allen also criticized Washington Hilton security and said he was surprised to enter armed.
Allen is thought to have solo-trained from California to Chicago, then D.C., booking a room at the fortified gala site. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said criminal charges against him are set for Monday.
He lunged at the Hilton ballroom but got floored in a melee that triggered gunfire, whisking Trump safely from the dais as diners hit the deck.
Targeted Trump Aides, Profile Emerges
“It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Allen’s digital footprint paints a sharp-minded tutor and hobbyist game coder. A May 2025 LinkedIn snapshot aligns with Trump-posted arrest pics: Allen in graduation garb post-master’s in computer science from Cal State Dominguez Hills.
He snagged a 2017 mechanical engineering bachelor’s at Caltech in Pasadena, active in Christian fellowship and Nerf skirmishes. A Los Angeles ABC affiliate aired his college-era chat on an innovative wheelchair brake prototype.
Campaign filings log his $25 gift to a 2024 Kamala Harris-backing Democratic PAC.
Chaos Erupts Early, Trump Calls for Unity
Gunfire cracked at barricades shortly after kickoff. Secret Service surged in; hundreds of guests crouched under tables amid gasps. Reporters scrambled for phones.
“Out of the way, sir!” blared one voice. Duck warnings followed. “God Bless America” swelled from a corner as Trump was led away. National Guard and choppers locked down the exterior.
The event was canceled and rescheduled.
Trump saw this as his third attempt on his life in less than two years. He spoke in a call for unity: “It’s always shocking when something like this happens. Happened to me, a little bit. And that never changes,” he said to White House reporters late on Saturday. He blamed his positions for making him a target but urged healing across party lines in a world of growing violence.
