A man suspected of carrying out a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday (April 25) is said to have sent an unsettling message to relatives around 10 minutes before gunfire erupted inside the Washington Hilton hotel.
The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, is expected to face formal charges during a hearing in Washington today (April 27), after authorities allege he fired multiple rounds during the high-profile annual dinner attended by journalists and government figures.
According to federal officers, the alleged gunman — reportedly from Torrance, California — ran past security carrying a shotgun, a handgun and several knives.
With more than 2,000 guests present, the scene reportedly descended into panic as attendees ducked under round banquet tables and Secret Service personnel moved quickly through the room to remove senior officials, including President Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Officials said one Secret Service agent was shot at close range, though the agent’s bullet-proof vest is believed to have prevented more serious injury.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner has been hosted at the Washington Hilton for years. While security at the event itself is described as extremely strict, the hotel continues operating for regular guests during the function.
In the wake of the attack, the White House has said a meeting will be held later this week to review and discuss future security measures.
After Allen was detained on Saturday night at the Washington Hilton, he allegedly told officers he intended to shoot members of the Trump administration, according to the BBC.
He is also reported to have sent a disturbing note to family members shortly before the alleged shooting, which a close relative later provided to law enforcement.
In the note, Allen allegedly referred to himself as the ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ and is said to have listed intended targets in order from “highest-ranking to lowest”.
“Let me start off by apologizing to everyone whose trust I abused,” the note, as per CNN, allegedly reads.
While laying out his political grievances, he added: “I don’t expect forgiveness.”
He continued: “I apologise to everyone…who suffered before I was able to attempt this, to all who may still suffer after, regardless of my success or failure.”
The note also allegedly included a claim that he may have given “a lot of people a surprise today” before the incident unfolded.
He also reportedly wrote: “In order to minimise casualties, I will also be using buckshot rather than slugs (less penetration through walls), but I would still go through most everyone here to get to the targets if it were absolutely necessary.”
On Linkedin, the suspect describes himself as a ‘mechanical engineer, game developer, and teacher’.
He was also reportedly named ‘teacher of the month’ in December 2024 by a tutoring company that works with collage-age students.