The suspected gunman at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, Cole Thomas Allen, has been identified as the author of a manifesto in which he outlined his plan to kill top officials of the Trump administration, with one notable exception: FBI Director Kash Patel.
In a letter exceeding 1,000 words sent to close friends and family just ten minutes before he confronted Secret Service agents at the Washington Hilton on Saturday evening, the 31-year-old shooter detailed his twisted rationale and 'rules of engagement' for the planned mass murder.
Allen wrote: 'Administration officials (not including Mr. Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest.' The reason for sparing Patel, 46, was not explicitly stated in the letter.
The shooter did clarify that law enforcement officers were not his intended targets, but they could become targets if they opened fire on him. '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*),' he wrote.
Allen also stated that he would not target hotel security, guests, or dinner attendees unless absolutely necessary. However, he noted that anyone in the building could be targeted 'if it were absolutely necessary' because they chose to attend a speech given by President Donald Trump.
During a press conference on Monday, Patel declined to comment on why his name was left off the target list. Law enforcement officials speculate that Patel's exclusion may be linked to his position in law enforcement or his Hindu faith, as Allen was reportedly 'pretty anti-Christian.'
Allen was arraigned on Monday on charges including attempted assassination of the president, transporting a firearm across state lines to commit a felony, and discharging a gun. He faces up to life in prison if convicted. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that Allen is not cooperating with authorities.
A Secret Service agent was shot during the incident but survived because his bulletproof vest stopped the bullet, according to President Trump.
