Cole Allen sent a "manifesto" to his family before charging a security checkpoint outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night, armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and knives. The document, reviewed by CBS News, said he planned to target Trump administration officials ranked "from highest-ranking to lowest" — with one deliberate exception.
"Not including Mr. Patel," Allen wrote, referring to FBI Director Kash Patel, who was also at the dinner.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed Sunday that authorities believe Allen traveled from California to Washington by train through Chicago before the attack. He said law enforcement was "very confident" in their assessment that Allen set out to target administration officials, "likely including the president." Allen is not cooperating with investigators and is expected to face multiple charges Monday.
The manifesto's tone was described as matter-of-fact and at times darkly ironic. Allen opened with "Hello everybody!" and acknowledged he may have "given a lot of people a surprise today." He apologized to his parents for claiming he had a job interview, "without specifying it was for 'Most Wanted.'" He also apologized to colleagues and students, saying he had told them he had a personal emergency, and suggested that by the time anyone read the message, he would likely need emergency care — referring to any injuries as "self-inflicted status."
Allen wrote that he carried out the attack because he didn't want the "crimes" of the administration to "coat his hands." He said he would not target Secret Service agents, Capitol Police, or National Guard troops unless necessary, adding, "I hope they are wearing body armor." One Secret Service officer was shot during the incident but was wearing a bulletproof vest and was released from the hospital Sunday. Allen also wrote that he chose buckshot over slugs specifically to minimize casualties.
Law enforcement sources told CBS News that Allen's brother, alarmed after receiving the email, called police in Connecticut on Saturday night. Authorities later found additional writings at Allen's home in Torrance, California, and in his room on the 10th floor of the Washington Hilton, where the dinner was being held.
President Trump, speaking to Fox News, described Allen as "a sick guy" and said the manifesto reflected hostility toward Christians. Social media accounts that appear to belong to Allen describe him as a tutor and amateur video game developer with degrees in computer science and mechanical engineering.
Trump and other senior administration figures were evacuated from the dinner shortly after shots were fired. The event was canceled. Video released by Trump showed Allen sprinting past security barricades as agents moved toward him.
The attack prompted an emergency security review for King Charles III and Queen Camilla, whose four-day state visit to the United States begins Monday. Buckingham Palace confirmed Sunday, after consultations "on both sides of the Atlantic," that the visit would proceed as planned with minor adjustments to some engagements. Blanche told NBC that Saturday night's incident demonstrated the U.S. security system functioned as intended and that the royal couple would be safe.
