New details have emerged in the shooting incident outside the Washington Hilton, where 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen was apprehended after gunfire near an event attended by Donald Trump. A manifesto sent minutes before the first shots was fired has now become central to the investigation.
The document reportedly outlined his motives, named intended targets and described what he saw as security weaknesses at the hotel. The incident took place near the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, attended by the First Lady and about 2,500 guests.
Authorities are now examining the manifesto, which was later handed to law enforcement by a relative. The text sought to justify the attack as a moral and religious duty, according to officials cited by the New York Post.
Motive
Allen rejected the idea of non-violence in response to what he described as systemic injustice. He argued that "turning the other cheek" applied only to personal suffering and not to the suffering of others.
He wrote: "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 behaviour; it is complicity in the oppressor's crimes."
He also wrote: "I am no longer willing to permit a paedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes."
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Target List
Investigators said the manifesto contained a ranked list of intended targets among administration officials based on seniority. The document focused on senior members of the US government.
Officials also noted one omission. Allen explicitly excluded Kash Patel from the list, according to the report.
Security Claims
Allen said he entered the hotel carrying multiple weapons without being stopped. He described security as arrogant and poorly planned, claiming officials focused on outside threats while ignoring risks from guests already inside.
He wrote: "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."
He also said he chose buckshot instead of slugs to reduce wall penetration and limit casualties. At the same time, he wrote that he was angry, distressed and conflicted about his actions.
Investigators are expected to continue reviewing the manifesto, the security arrangements and the suspect's communications as the case moves forward.
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