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Published 10:10 27 Apr 2026 GMT
Gunman's chilling manifesto revealed after opening fire towards Donald Trump at White House dinner
The attacker accused of firing shots at the president on Saturday night allegedly sent an extensive manifesto to his family that outlined his “rules of engagement” just ten minutes before the attack.
Signed “coldForce Friendly Federal Assassin”, the missive reportedly stated that the gunman believed it was his righteous duty to target administration officials at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
The suspect, named as Cole Allen, 31, reportedly began the 1,052-word manifesto with a friendly “Hello everybody”, before apologising to his family, colleagues, and everyone he had encountered on his way to the Correspondents' Dinner.
Who did he say sorry to before firing shots?
The long list of apologies began: “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.”
Further down the long statement, Allen allegedly gave the reasons he “did any of this”.
Explaining his justification for attempting to shoot the president on Saturday, he allegedly said: “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.”
Who else would he have shot if he was not stopped?
Allen's alleged manifesto then went on to list who his official targets were, listing administration officials as targets but declaring that secret service personnel are “only targets if necessary and to be incapacitated non-lethally if possible”.
Security staff, Capitol Police, National Guard, Hotel Security, Hotel Employees, and Guests were all declared as “not targets if at all possible”.
Allen also allegedly clarified that he planned to use “buckshot rather than slugs” to “minimize casualties”.
The alleged gunman ended his sprawling manifesto by thanking his “family, both personal and church, for your love over these 31 years.”
He also thanked his friends, colleagues, students, and acquaintances, whom he “met in person and online, for short interactions and long-term relationships, for your perspectives and inspiration.”
Allen reportedly signed off the lengthy manifesto with a warning to others that attempted assassination is not an enjoyable experience.
“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.”