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WHCD shooting and manifesto
A shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, US, sent President Donald Trump and other high-profile officials into evacuation as gunfire erupted shortly after the event began.
“US President Donald Trump says the man accused of trying to attack administration officials at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner was a "pretty sick guy" who had been flagged to law enforcement by family members”
Reuters reported that gunshots were fired inside the Washington Hilton shortly after 8:30pm, prompting panic as Secret Service agents rushed the president and other Cabinet officials out of the ballroom, while others took cover under tables.
The suspect, identified by multiple outlets as Cole Tomas Allen, was detained near the hotel screening area after he shot and injured one law enforcement officer, and the officer was treated and released from the hospital on Sunday, according to Reuters.
Acting US attorney general Todd Blanche told NBC that “It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,” and the Guardian said investigators were looking into anti-Trump sentiment as a motive.
The Independent and WION both tied the political fallout to questions about Allen’s alleged manifesto, with Trump reacting angrily when asked about it.
In the CBS interview described by multiple outlets, Trump responded to the manifesto’s language by saying, “I’m not a pedophile” and “I’m not a rapist,” while WION and The Hill reported he called CBS News “disgraceful” for reading out segments.
The Independent and other outlets quoted the manifesto’s line, “I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes,” and Allen’s self-description as “Friendly Federal Assassin” was repeated in reporting about writings sent to family members moments before the shooting.
How the manifesto was shared
Multiple reports described how Allen’s alleged manifesto was circulated to family members shortly before the attack, and how that material then became central to the president’s public response.
Reuters said officials believe Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance, California, sent the anti-Trump manifesto to his family members moments before the shooting, calling himself the “Friendly Federal Assassin.”
The Guardian added that “The suspected gunman sent writings listing his grievances against the administration to his family members about 10 minutes before shots were fired, according to White House officials who spoke to the Associated Press,” creating a timeline difference between “moments before” and “about 10 minutes before.”
The Guardian said a relative, confirmed by those officials to be Allen’s brother, contacted police in New London, Connecticut, and the New London police department said it was contacted at 10.49 pm, about two hours after the shooting.
The Hill and WION both described Trump’s anger during a CBS “60 Minutes” interview, where journalist Norah O’Donnell read aloud a line from the document.
The Hill quoted O’Donnell reading, “The so-called manifesto is a stunning thing to read, Mr. President,” and then reading, “I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.'”
Trump’s response, as captured by The Hill, included “You shouldn’t be reading that on ’60 Minutes.’ You’re a disgrace,” while the Guardian reported the manifesto created a ranked list of targets for “administration officials” with the exception of FBI director Kash Patel.
Trump’s confrontation with CBS
Trump’s response to the manifesto quickly became a direct confrontation with CBS News and Norah O’Donnell, with multiple outlets quoting the exchange in detail.
“The suspect wrote a "manifesto" that stated he planned to target Trump administration officials, "prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest," according to a copy obtained by CBS News”
The Independent said Trump called CBS News “disgraceful” for quoting segments of the manifesto during an interview that aired on 60 Minutes on Sunday, and it described Trump’s reaction as angered when asked about the manifesto.
The Hill reported that Trump told O’Donnell, “I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would because you’re horrible people. Horrible people,” and later called her “disgraceful.”
In the CBS interview, The Hill quoted O’Donnell reading the manifesto’s line about “pedophile, rapist, and traitor,” and then quoted Trump replying, “Yeah, he did write that. I’m — I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody.”
WION likewise reported Trump’s defensive tone, quoting him as saying, “Excuse me. I'm not a pedophile. You read that crap from some sick person.”
ABP News and The Times of India both captured Trump’s insistence that he is “not a rapist” and “I’m not a pedophile,” with ABP News quoting the exchange in which Trump said, “I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody.”
The Hill also quoted Trump accusing the interviewer of reading the manifesto, saying, “You shouldn’t be reading that on ’60 Minutes.’ You’re a disgrace.”
Investigators, targets, and charges
While Trump focused on the media’s handling of the manifesto, investigators and prosecutors described the case in terms of targeting administration officials and preparing charges.
The Guardian said acting US attorney general Todd Blanche told a TV interview that investigators believed the attacker was targeting members of the administration, quoting Blanche: “We do believe, based upon just a very preliminary start to understanding what happened, that he was targeting members of the administration.”
The Guardian said the suspect was set to be arraigned in federal court on Monday and faced charges of assault of a federal officer, discharging a firearm and attempting to kill a federal officer.
Reuters reported that Allen faces impending firearms and assault charges and is set to be arraigned on Monday, and it said he is reportedly not cooperating with authorities.
The AAP News report described Trump saying Allen will be charged in federal court on Monday with assault of a federal officer, discharging a firearm and attempting to kill a federal officer, and that further federal indictments would be coming later.
The Guardian said the manifesto published by the New York Post included a list of targets ranked from highest to lowest priority, with Trump administration officials at the top, and it stated that the manifesto targeted administration officials “with the exception of the FBI director, Kash Patel.”
Officials said Allen fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent at a security checkpoint in the Washington Hilton hotel before being tackled and arrested, and Trump said the agent escaped serious injury because the bullet struck his protective vest.
Background, profiles, and possible motive
Reporting also expanded beyond the immediate shooting to describe Allen’s background, alleged views, and the investigative focus on motive.
“A tutor with a manifesto: What we know about the US press gala shooting suspect The suspect in the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner shooting, widely named as Cole Tomas Allen, is a tutor with a degree in mechanical engineering who was opposed to President Donald Trump's policies, according to US media reports”
France 24 said the suspect, widely named as Cole Tomas Allen, is a tutor with a degree in mechanical engineering and that he was opposed to President Donald Trump’s policies, citing US media reports.
France 24 described a photo of Allen of Torrance, California, posted to social media last year showing him in a cap and gown after graduating with a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
France 24 reported that a search of state and federal court databases showed no indication Allen had ever previously been charged with a crime, and it said voter registration records listed Allen’s home address as his parents’ house in Torrance.
The report also included details about purchases and training, stating that law enforcement officials told the AP that Allen legally bought a .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol in October 2023 and a 12-gauge shotgun last year.
The Guardian and Reuters both described investigators assessing a manifesto and anti-Trump sentiment, with the Guardian saying investigators were looking into anti-Trump sentiment as being a motive and that Blanche said the attacker likely was targeting Trump and other senior administration officials.
The Times of India added that notes recovered from him criticised what he described as lax security, questioning the absence of tighter surveillance and armed presence.
