Latest Failed Assassin Wrote a Manifesto. Here's What He Said Motivated Him, And How Hard It Was to Get So Close to Trump with a Weapon

WASHINGTON - A 31-year-old California teacher identified as Cole Tomas Allen opened fire outside the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on Saturday night, where President Donald Trump and other administration officials were in attendance. Allen, who described himself as "half-black, half-white," was quickly subdued by law enforcement after charging a security checkpoint armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives. One Secret Service agent was injured in the incident.

Just 10 minutes before the shooting, Allen emailed a 1,052-word manifesto to family members, according to reports citing law enforcement sources. His brother in Connecticut reportedly alerted police to the document shortly afterward. The full text, obtained by the New York Post, reveals a mix of apologies, political grievances framed around accusations against Trump, detailed "rules of engagement" for the attack, rebuttals to anticipated criticisms, and a scathing postscript criticizing security lapses.

The manifesto begins with apologies to those he believed he endangered or betrayed:

"Hello everybody!

So I may have given a lot of people a surprise today. Let me start off by apologizing to everyone whose trust I abused.

I apologize to my parents for saying I had an interview without specifying it was for 'Most Wanted.'

I apologize to my colleagues and students for saying I had a personal emergency (by the time anyone reads this, I probably most certainly DO need to go to the ER, but can hardly call that not a self-inflicted status.)

I apologize to all of the people I traveled next to, all the workers who handled my luggage, and all the other non-targeted people at the hotel who I put in danger simply by being near.

I apologize to everyone who was abused and/or murdered before this, to all those who suffered before I was able to attempt this, to all who may still suffer after, regardless of my success or failure.

I don't expect forgiveness, but if I could have seen any other way to get this close, I would have taken it. Again, my sincere apologies."

Allen then explained his motivation, directly accusing the president:

"On to why I did any of this:

Cole Alle, President Trump

I am a citizen of the United States of America.

What my representatives do reflects on me.

And I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.

(Well, to be completely honest, I was no longer willing a long time ago, but this is the first real opportunity I've had to do something about it.)"

He outlined his "rules of engagement," prioritizing Trump administration officials while attempting to limit harm to others and using buckshot "to minimize casualties":

"While I'm discussing this, I'll also go over my expected rules of engagement (probably in a terrible format, but I'm not military so too bad.)

Administration officials (not including Mr. Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest

Secret Service: they are targets only if necessary, and to be incapacitated non-lethally if possible (aka, I hope they're wearing body armor because center mass with shotguns messes up people who aren't

Hotel Security: not targets if at all possible (aka unless they shoot at me)

Capitol Police: same as Hotel Security

National Guard: same as Hotel Security

Hotel Employees: not targets at all

Guests: not targets at all

In order to minimize casualties I will also be using buckshot rather than slugs (less penetration through walls)

I would still go through most everyone here to get to the targets if it were absolutely necessary (on the basis that most people chose to attend a speech by a pedophile, rapist, and traitor, and are thus complicit) but I really hope it doesn't come to that."

Allen anticipated objections and provided rebuttals, including one addressing his own racial background and another invoking Christian teachings:

"Rebuttals to objections:

Objection 1: As a Christian, you should turn the other cheek.

Rebuttal: Turning the other cheek is for when you yourself are oppressed. I'm not the person raped in a detention camp. I'm not the fisherman executed without trial. I'm not a schoolkid blown up or a child starved or a teenage girl abused by the many criminals in this administration.

Turning the other cheek when someone else is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor's crimes.

...

Objection 4: As a half-black, half-white person, you shouldn't be the one doing this.

Rebuttal: I don't see anyone else picking up the slack"

He signed the document formally before shifting to a more informal rant:

"Sincerely,

Cole "coldForce" "Friendly Federal Assassin" Allen"

In the postscript, Allen expressed shock at the apparent ease with which he approached the event and described his emotional state:

"PS: Ok now that all the sappy stuff is done, what the hell is the Secret Service doing? Sorry, gonna rant a bit here and drop the formal tone.

Like, I expected security cameras at every bend, bugged hotel rooms, armed agents every 10 feet, metal detectors out the wazoo.

What I got (who knows, maybe they're pranking me!) is nothing.

No damn security.

Not in transport.

Not in the hotel.

Not in the event.

Like, the one thing that I immediately noticed walking into the hotel is the sense of arrogance.

I walk in with multiple weapons and not a single person there considers the possibility that I could be a threat.

...

Like, if I was an Iranian agent, instead of an American citizen, I could have brought a damn Ma Deuce in here and no one would have noticed shit.

Actually insane.

Oh and if anyone is curious is how doing something like feels: it's awful. I want to throw up; I want to cry for all the things I wanted to do and never will, for all the people whose trust this betrays; I experience rage thinking about everything this administration has done.

Can't really recommend it! Stay in school, kids."

Allen, a Torrance, California resident who worked as a teacher and had a background in mechanical engineering from Caltech, faces federal charges including firearms violations and assault on a federal officer. President Trump was evacuated from the stage shortly after the gunfire erupted, but no other injuries to attendees were immediately reported beyond the one agent.

The incident marks another episode of political violence surrounding Trump, coming after previous assassination attempts. Investigators are examining Allen's background, social media, and the manifesto for further insights into his motives. Authorities have described the security at the event as under review given Allen's claims about how easily he entered the hotel armed.

This is a developing story.