\n<\/p>\n
The would-be shooter who attacked at Saturday\u2019s White House Correspondents\u2019 Dinner revealed that he was willing to kill everyone in the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really hope it doesn\u2019t come to that,\u201d Cole Tomas Allen wrote in the 1,000-word document, arguing that the potential mass casualty event was justifiable \u201con the basis that most people *chose* to attend a speech by a pedophile, rapist, and traitor\u201d \u2014 a reference to President Donald Trump \u2014 and \u201care thus complicit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Around 2,500<\/a> people were in attendance at the event, including the president, Vice President JD Vance, several Cabinet secretaries and members of congressional leadership, as well as journalists, media personalities, and guests. In his manifesto, Allen wrote that he only considered members of the Trump administration \u2014 with the exception of FBI Director Kash Patel, for reasons unknown \u2014 fair targets.<\/p>\n Allen wrote that he would only shoot Secret Service, Capitol Police, and hotel security if they shot him first, and pledged not to engage with other workers or guests. However, Allen said he \u201cwould still go through most everyone here to get to the targets\u201d because he was \u201cno longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n Allen explained that he chose \u201cbuckshot rather than slugs\u201d in an effort to reduce collateral damage by mitigating \u201cpenetration through walls.\u201d<\/p>\n In the manifesto, Allen describes himself as a Christian, and notes that a possible objection to his actions is that \u201cAs a Christian, you should turn the other cheek.\u201d He then offers a rebuttal, noting\u00a0\u201cTurning the other check is for when you yourself are oppressed. Turning the other cheek when someone else<\/i> is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor\u2019s crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n Another possible objection he lists is \u201cyield unto Caesar what is Caesar\u2019s,\u201d a reference to Jesus\u2019s dictum that Christians must obey worldly authorities \u2014 and another seeming implication that Allen conceived of his attack in religious terms. Allen appeared to be a member of Christian groups and clubs during his time at Cal-Tech. His father is an elder at the Grace United Reformed Church in California, The Daily Wire reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n Acknowledging that his manifesto might be his last words to family and friends, he writes, \u201cI would also like to extend my appreciation to a great many people since I will not be likely to be able to talk with them again unless the Secret Service is *astoundingly* incompetent,\u201d he says, before going on criticize security.<\/p>\n \u201cThis level of incompetence is insane,\u201d he writes. \u201cI walk in with multiple weapons and not a single person there considers the possibility that I could be a threat. The security at the event is all outside, focused on protestors and current arrivals, because apparently no one thought about what happens if someone checks in the day before.\u201d<\/p>\n Allen sent the manifesto to relatives 10 minutes before he attacked. He closed the missive with a reflection on the unpleasantness of presidential assassination.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to throw up,\u201d Allen writes. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n He signed the manifesto \u201cCole \u2018coldForce\u2019 \u2018Friendly Federal Assassin\u2019 Allen.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n