The shooter, Cole Thomas Allen, said in a statement that he wanted to target Trump administration officials
Cole Thomas Allen’s family had raised concerns about his behavior before his attempted shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday night.According to a senior US official cited by CBS News, Allen’s sister, Afriana, told investigators that he repeatedly talked about doing “something” to fix problems in the world.The 31-year-old from California is accused of opening fire near the entrance of the Washington Hilton Hotel during the high-profile political media event attended by President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and other senior officials.
Secret Service agents quickly intervened, and Allen was taken into custody after a brief standoff. An officer was injured but was protected by a bulletproof vest.Allen sent writings to family members shortly before the accident. Those writings included political grievances and harsh criticism of government institutions, although officials did not say they directly mentioned the planned attack. CBS News reported that a family member, Cole’s brother, notified law enforcement after receiving the statement.
Law enforcement sources also said Allen has a history of making extremist political statements online and in personal conversations. His family told investigators that he regularly visited shooting ranges to practice shooting and had purchased firearms legally in the years leading up to the attack. Records reviewed by Bloomberg News show he obtained the handgun and rifle through licensed dealers in California.Investigators found widespread anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric across Allen’s social media accounts, Fox News reports. Furthermore, Allen was associated with a group called “The Wide Awakes” and attended the “No Kings” protest in California.According to the Federal Election Commission, Allen donated $25 to ActBlue, a political action committee that raises money for Democrats in October 2024. The money was intended for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. Allen used to work as a part-time teacher and software/game developer.
