Italian
U.S. authorities are investigating a possible political motive behind the shooting that occurred during the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington DC, an event attended by the President of the United States and senior members of the administration
Washington DC (USA). According to investigators, the attacker acted out of hostile feelings towards former President Donald Trump and other prominent government officials. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated in a television interview that, based on the initial information gathered, “the target was members of the administration.”
The suspect, identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, originally from California, was arrested after being subdued by law enforcement while attempting to advance inside the hotel hosting the event.
On Monday, he is scheduled to appear before a federal court. He currently faces charges of assaulting a federal officer, using a firearm, and attempted murder of a public official. However, authorities do not rule out that he may also be charged with attempted murder of Trump.
The manifesto and the list of objectives
Investigators are analyzing a supposed manifesto attributed to the attacker, which allegedly contains a list of targets classified by priority. At the top of the list are members of the Trump administration.
According to official sources, the document is authentic. Shortly before the attack, the suspect reportedly sent some writings to family members expressing his grievances against the government. It was the brother who contacted the police in Connecticut.
In the manifesto, the man would define himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and would explain the motivations for the action, explicitly excluding the FBI director, Kash Patel, and — if possible — agents and security personnel not directly involved.
According to authorities, the suspect opened fire with a rifle at a Secret Service agent at a security checkpoint near the Washington Hilton hotel, where the dinner was taking place.
President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other officials were immediately secured. The injured agent was not seriously hurt thanks to the bulletproof vest.
Trump’s Statements
In an interview on the 60 Minutes program, Trump described the attacker as “a sick person” and harshly criticized journalist Norah O’Donnell for reading parts of the manifesto on air.
The president also stated that he did not feel particularly worried during the incident:
“I wasn’t worried. We live in a crazy world,” he said.
Investigators believe that Allen traveled by train from California to Chicago, and then reached Washington, where he had checked in as a hotel guest a few days before the event.
According to federal authorities, the suspect’s sister reportedly stated that the man had legally purchased several firearms in California, keeping them at his parents’ house without their knowledge.
The investigations continue to clarify all the details and verify any further responsibilities or complicity.
