US gunman sent anti-govt writings to family minutes before shooting

Washington: The man accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner sent writings to family members minutes before the shooting, referring to himself as a "Friendly Federal Assassin," railing against Trump administration policies and signalling what investigators increasingly believe was a politically driven attack, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation.

The writings, sent shortly before shots were fired at the Washington Hilton, made repeated references to President Trump without naming him directly and alluded to grievances over a range of administration actions and recent events, including US strikes on drug smuggling boats in the eastern Pacific, the official said.

Investigators are treating the writings, along with a trail of social media posts and interviews with family members, as some of the clearest evidence yet of the suspect's mindset and possible motives. President Trump told Fox News that the suspect was "a sick guy" who had an anti-Christian manifesto and "a lot of hatred in his heart". Authorities also uncovered what the official described as numerous anti-Trump social media posts linked to the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, a California man. Allen's brother contacted police in New London, Connecticut, after receiving the writings, according to the official. A police spokesperson said they contacted federal law enforcement after receiving that information.

Federal agents have also interviewed Allen's sister in Maryland, who told investigators her brother had legally purchased several weapons from a California gun store and stored them at their parents' home in Torrance without their knowledge, according to the official. She described her brother as prone to making radical statements, the official said. Allen legally bought a .38-caliber semi-automatic pistol in Oct 2023 and a 12-gauge shotgun two years later, the official and another law enforcement official told AP.

Authorities are still trying to determine how specific Allen's alleged targets were. Officials have said investigators are examining whether his grievances centred on Trump and vice president JD Vance personally or reflected a broader hostility toward the administration. The suspect was expected to face criminal charges Monday from the justice department, whose acting leader, Todd Blanche, said the suspect travelled by train from California and checked in as a guest days earlier at the hotel where the Saturday night gala dinner was held.

Social media posts that appear to match the suspect show he is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer. A May 2025 profile photo of Allen appears to match the appearance of the man in a photo of the alleged attacker being taken into custody that was posted Saturday by Trump. The photo, posted on LinkedIn, shows him in a cap and gown after graduating with a master's degree in computer science from California State University. Allen earned a bachelor's degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. He listed his involvement there in a Christian student fellowship and a campus group that battled with Nerf guns.