By A California man accused of opening fire near a security checkpoint outside the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner sent a manifesto to family members outlining plans to target Trump administration officials, according to a document reviewed by CBS News.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, was taken into custody Saturday night following the incident at the Washington Hilton Hotel. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Allen was armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and knives when he rushed the checkpoint. President Donald Trump and other officials were quickly escorted from the venue, and the event was canceled.
A Secret Service officer struck by gunfire was protected by a bulletproof vest and later released from the hospital. Law enforcement officials said Allen’s brother contacted police in Connecticut after receiving an alarming email sent to family members shortly before the attack.
Authorities later recovered additional writings at Allen’s residence in California and inside his hotel room on the 10th floor of the Hilton, where the dinner was being held.
In the message sent to relatives, Allen used a mix of casual and sardonic language. He opened with “Hello everybody!” and acknowledged he may have surprised recipients. He apologized to his parents for referencing an upcoming “interview” without clarifying it would involve appearing on a “Most Wanted” list. He also expressed regret to coworkers and students for citing a personal emergency, adding that he expected to require medical treatment for what he described as “self-inflicted” injuries.
Allen indicated that law enforcement officers, hotel staff, and attendees were not his intended targets, though he acknowledged he might have to engage them to reach administration officials. He wrote that he hoped such escalation would not occur.
The document outlined a plan to target administration figures in order of rank, while avoiding explicit references to Trump or the dinner itself. He stated that his motivation was to avoid being implicated in what he described as the administration’s wrongdoing, writing that he did not want those “crimes” to “coat [his] hands.” He also noted that FBI Director Patel was excluded from his list of targets.
Allen wrote that he intended to avoid confrontation with Secret Service agents, Capitol Police, or National Guard personnel unless necessary, and expressed hope they would be protected by appropriate gear. He added that he chose buckshot rather than slugs in an effort to reduce the risk of rounds penetrating walls.
The message also addressed criticisms he anticipated. Responding to concerns about his racial background, he wrote that he saw no one else taking action. Addressing his Christian faith, he argued that “turning the other cheek” applied to personal grievances rather than broader injustices, referencing unnamed individuals he believed were harmed by administration policies.
He wrote that he did not expect forgiveness and would have pursued alternative options if any had provided similar access to the event.
In a postscript, Allen criticized security arrangements, questioning how weapons could be brought into the area. He suggested that an Iranian operative could have smuggled in a heavy machine gun—referring to it as a “Ma Deuce”—without detection. Officials have noted that the hotel remained open to the public, with only specific areas under full Secret Service control.
According to investigators, Allen’s sister told authorities he often used strong, “radical” language and had spoken about taking action to address societal problems.
In a weird move, “60 Minutes” seemed sympathetic to the manifesto and tried to play a “gotcha” during an interview about the shooting with President Trump.
Look at how nasty Norah O'Donnell is toward Trump
She reads the manifesto and asks for his reaction to it
Trump responds: "Yeah, [the gunman] did write that. I'm not a rapist. I didn't rape anybody."
O'Donnell: "Oh do you think he was referring to you?"
She tries to act… pic.twitter.com/NXNuvPkd2o
— Ryan Saavedra (@RyanSaavedra) April 27, 2026
“Well, I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would because you’re horrible people,” Trump answered. “Horrible people. Yeah, he did write that. I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody.”
“Do you think he was referring to you?” O’Donnell asked.
“I’m not a pedophile. You read that crap from some sick person? I got associated with all…stuff that has nothing to do with me. I was totally exonerated. Your friends on the other side of the plate are the ones that were involved with, let’s say, Epstein or other things. But I said to myself, ‘You know, I’ll do this interview and they’ll probably…’ I read the manifesto. You know, he’s a sick person. But you should be ashamed of yourself reading that because I’m not any of those things,” Trump said.
O’Donnell interrupted to argue that she was quoting the alleged gunman’s words, but Trump continued to call her “disgraceful.”
The annual dinner, attended by more than 2,500 guests, is traditionally viewed as a celebration of the First Amendment. Trump attended this year’s event after skipping it during earlier periods of his presidency and has indicated he hopes to reschedule within 30 days.
Allen is expected to face federal charges, with an arraignment scheduled for Monday. Authorities continue to examine his background as a teacher and engineer, as well as how he was able to enter the hotel while armed.
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