Live updates: Cole Allen, accused WHCA gunman, had manifesto targeting Trump, top officials

Cole Tomas Allen, the gunman accused of opening fire outside the Hilton hotel where President Trump and the first lady were attending the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, was likely targeting Trump and other administration officials, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday.

Allen, who traveled across the country by train and was a guest at the hotel, was armed with a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives when he tried to storm the event Saturday night before being tackled by the Secret Service. One Secret Service agent was shot, but he was protected by a bulletproof vest. 

Law enforcement officials who have examined the gunman’s electronic devices and his writings believe he intended to target administration members in attendance at the dinner. 

"It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president," Blanche told NBC’s "Meet the Press."

Here’s the latest: 

Trump tells FNC suspect was ‘troubled guy’

11:30 a.m. ET: President Trump spoke to Fox News Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich Sunday morning on "The Sunday Briefing." 

He echoed what the White House said earlier, sharing the suspect had a manifesto. 

"The guy is a sick guy. When you read his manifesto, he hates Christians. That's one thing for sure. He hates Christians, a hatred," he said. "So he was, he was a very troubled guy." He said that the suspect's family had previously alerted concerns about him to police in Connecticut. 

Trump also elaborated on his desire to carry on with the evening. 

"We had a record crowd last night. And you and the people that put it on did a fantastic job, really, but that all of these people would have to leave, you know, it's just. For what? For one nut," he said. 

"But we did the right thing, and we came back to the White House. We did a news conference and explained what happened, and now, we’re doing it a little bit more by talking to you. But we did the right thing." 

Suspect had manifesto, White House tells FNC

10:48 a.m. ET: Fox News Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich says the White House told her the suspect’s written manifesto "clearly stated he wanted to target administration officials."

"He also had a ton of anti-Trump and anti-Christian rhetoric on his social media accounts," Heinrich shared on X. 

The White House told Heinrich that Allen's brother had notified police in Connecticut of the alleged manifesto that he sent to his family members before the shooting. Secret Service agents reportedly interviewed Allen's sister in Rockville, Maryland. She said her brother "had a tendency to make radical statements and his rhetoric constantly referenced a plan to do ‘something’ to fix the issues with today’s world," Heinrich reports. 

His sister said Allen bought two handguns and a shotgun that he kept at his parents' home without their knowledge. She said he would regularly train at the firing range. 

Who is Cole Tomas Allen? 

What we know:

Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer from southern California, according to his LinkedIn profile. 

Allen graduated with a master’s degree in computer science from California State University-Dominguez Hills, his LinkedIn profile states. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, where he was active in a Christian student fellowship and a campus club for Nerf gun enthusiasts. He described himself on LinkedIn as a "mechanical engineer and computer scientist by degree, independent game developer by experience, teacher by birth."

RELATED: Trump says WHCA dinner gunman was "lone wolf" from California

His profile says he’s spent the last six years working for C2 Education, a company that offers admissions counseling and test preparation services to aspiring college students. A 2024 post on the company’s Facebook page listed Allen as the company’s teacher of the month.

Allen contributed $25 to a Democratic Party political action committee in support of Kamala Harris for president in 2024, according to federal campaign finance records obtained by The Associated Press. 

Allen also shared online that he had developed a video game for the Steam platform based on molecular chemistry. A post under Allen’s name said he was working to develop a new "top-down shooter" combat game set in outer space.

According to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Allen took a train cross-country from California to Washington, DC. 

What we don't know:

It’s still unclear why Allen charged the dinner and opened fire and who was the intended target. 

What they're saying:

"He was a very good student indeed, always sitting in the first row of my class, paying attention, and frequently emailing me with coursework questions," said Bin Tang, a computer science professor at California State University-Dominguez Hills who had Allen in a few of his classes. "Soft spoken, very polite, a good fellow. I am very shocked to see the news."

What is Cole Tomas Allen charged with? 

What's next:

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said preliminary charges for Allen include two counts related to using a firearm and assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon, but there will be many more charges filed "based on the information that we are learning in this very fluid situation."

Pirro said Allen’s arraignment will take place Monday in federal district court.

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