The man suspected of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump on Saturday emailed family members detailing his motivations and intended targets, according to court documents unsealed Monday afternoon.
An FBI affidavit includes a message from Cole Tomas Allen saying he was no longer willing to allow “a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.” Authorities have charged Allen with attempting to assassinate Trump and multiple firearms offenses.
Allen was detained Saturday night after authorities say he charged into the lobby of the Washington Hilton, where Trump and other top cabinet officials were attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
“An act of violence occurred at a gathering that symbolizes something fundamental to our system of government. The ability of a free press and public officials to come together in celebration and not fear,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Monday. “Secret Service agents promptly tackled and detained the suspect.”
During the attack, a Secret Service agent was struck by a bullet. Federal officials have not yet revealed who fired the shot that hit the agent. Investigators believe Allen fired his shotgun, while another agent fired five rounds at him but did not strike him, Blanche said.
Allen sent the email to family members at approximately 8:40 p.m. on the night of the attack, appearing to acknowledge his actions, according to the affidavit.
“So I may have given a lot of people a surprise today,” the email read. “Let me start off by apologizing to everyone whose trust I abused. I apologize to my parents for saying I had an interview without specifying it was for ‘Most Wanted.”
The message also identified potential targets.
“Administration officials (not including Mr. Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest,” the email stated.
When asked by The Daily Wire about the reference, Patel declined to comment. He did say that the FBI was “constantly” tracking potential threats when asked if there were any other credible threats being looked into at the time.
The affidavit further indicates the attack appeared to have been planned for weeks. Allen booked a room at the Washington Hilton on April 6, then traveled by train from the Los Angeles area to Chicago on April 21, arriving April 23 before continuing on to Washington, D.C.
