Topline
The suspected gunman at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner sent his family writings referring to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” and denounced the Trump administration’s policies, law enforcement sources told the Associated Press on Sunday, shedding more light on a potential motive behind the incident at the gala on Saturday night.
President Donald Trump holds a press conference at the White House in Washington shortly after a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday. (Photo by Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Anadolu via Getty Images
Key Facts
The suspected gunman who tried to enter the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night was identified by multiple outlets as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, citing law enforcement sources.
The suspect sent writings to his family members shortly before the shooting, the Associated Press reported, citing an unnamed law enforcement official, taking issue with administration policies including the strikes on suspected drug smuggling boats.
The writings said he was only targeting officials and not guests or staff at the hotel where the event was taking place, NBC News reported also citing law enforcement sources, and told his family he did not expect to be forgiven.
Federal investigators reportedly interviewed the suspect’s sister in Maryland, who said the alleged gunman purchased his firearms legally but hid them at their parents’ home in California, who had no knowledge of them.
The suspect’s brother also reportedly contacted police in New London, Connecticut, after receiving the message.
Earlier on Sunday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the suspected shooter was trying to “assassinate” President Donald Trump, while Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told “Meet the Press” on Sunday that Justice Department investigators believed the suspect was trying to target officials in the administration.
Calling in to Fox News on Sunday morning, Trump offered more details about the suspect’s motivation, claiming he left behind a “manifesto” in his hotel room and that he “hates Christians,” and called the alleged shooter a “very troubled guy.”
Justice Department Says Suspect Targeted Administration
Speaking to “Meet the Press” on Sunday morning prior to the reports on the suspects’ alleged writings, Blanche said the suspect traveled from Los Angeles to Chicago, then Chicago to Washington, D.C., by train, and investigators believe he was staying in the same hotel the dinner was taking place at. The acting attorney general said investigators were speaking with witnesses who know the suspect and were looking at “some writings,” but later said, at the present moment, investigators have found no connection to any “policy, directive of President Trump, or Iran, or anything else that we’re doing in this country, but we’re looking into it.” However, Blanche did say the Justice Department believes the suspect “set out to target folks that work in the administration, likely including the president,” but also said he didn’t want to “get ahead” of the ongoing investigation. The acting attorney general said he expected the suspect would be charged tomorrow morning, likely with at least assault of a federal officer and discharging a firearm during that assault.
Key Background
The annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner was being held at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night, and this year’s gala was going to be the first Trump has attended as a sitting president. However, Trump was quickly evacuated from the dinner after gunshots were heard in the building. The president was uninjured and no one was killed in the shooting, but a suspected gunman was taken into custody after exchanging fire with Secret Service agents following an attempt to rush through a security checkpoint. One Secret Service officer was hospitalized after a bullet struck his bulletproof vest, and was later released. The suspected shooter’s motive remains unclear. Speaking to the press in an abruptly called briefing shortly after the shooting, Trump labeled the suspected shooter a “lone wolf” and claimed “when you’re impactful, they go after you. When you’re not impactful, they leave you alone,” suggesting he believed he was the target of an assassination attempt at the dinner.
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