(The Center Square) – The California man accused of storming security at Saturday night's White House Correspondents’ Dinner and shooting a Secret Service officer before being detained, likely was targeting Trump administration officials, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday.
President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and members of Trump's cabinet were at the event and were rushed out of the banquet hall of the Washington, D.C. Hilton.
“It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche said on NBC’s “Meet the Press. "But I want to wait and not get ahead of us on that."
A long gun and shell casings were recovered at the scene.
No one else but the Secret Service agent, who Trump said he spoke to and was doing OK, was injured in the attack.
The New York Post reported Sunday that it received a copy of a "manifesto" the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, sent to family members just minutes before the attack.
"Administration officials (not including Mr. [FBI Director Kash] Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest," the Post reported the manifesto read.
Allen, media outlets reported, was a tutor and amateur video game developer. He attended the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, where he graduated in 2017. He donated $50 to the campaign of then presidential candidate Kamala Harris through ActBlue.
According to the Post, Allen's manifesto said he wanted to minimize casualties at the hotel but, "I would still go though most everyone here to get to the targets if it were absolutely necessary (on the basis that most "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."
Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Trump said the manifesto shows the suspect was a sick guy.
"The guy is a sick guy," Trump told Fox News. "When you read his manifesto, he hates Christians. That's one thing for sure. He hates Christians, a hatred. And I think his sister or his brother actually was complaining about it. You know, they were even complaining to law enforcement. So he was, he was a very troubled guy."
The Center Square's White House Bureau Chief Sarah Roderick-Fitch was in attendance at the event and said she heard a loud noise before attendees started screaming. Secret Service agents then stormed the room and began escorting people out, Roderick-Fitch said.
Federal law enforcement officers searched the suspect's California home and interviewed members of his family. The investigation is ongoing.
Dan McCaleb is the executive editor of The Center Square. He welcomes your comments. Contact Dan at dmccaleb@thecentersquare.com.
Originally published on thecentersquare.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
Information from the News and our advertisers (Want to add your business to this to this feed?)
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sign up to receive notifications when a new Columbia Gorge News e-Edition is published.
Would you like to receive our news updates? Signup today!
Receive weekly updates on obituaries and death notices.
Oregon Capital Press presented by Columbia Gorge News
Receive updates on upcoming promotions and special sections.
Receive weekly updates on local sports news.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
Commented
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.