The man accused of firing at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner sent writings to family members minutes before the attack that railed against President Donald Trump and described himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin,” according to a message reviewed by The Associated Press.

Authorities said the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, targeted the security checkpoint area around the event at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night, where security was typically tight. Investigators are increasingly treating his writings, along with an apparent trail of social media posts and interviews with family members, as some of the clearest evidence yet of his mindset and possible motives.

The writings, which AP said ran more than 1,000 words, repeatedly referenced Trump’s name without naming him directly and alluded to grievances spanning actions by the Trump administration, including U.S. strikes on boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean. AP said the note moved between apologies, political anger, religious justifications, and rebuttals to imagined critics, and included a taunting critique of security at the Washington Hilton, mocking what he described as lax precautions and expressing surprise at how he entered the hotel armed without detection.

AP reported that Allen’s anti-Trump material was not limited to the pre-attack note. Authorities said they uncovered what a law enforcement official described as numerous anti-Trump social media posts linked to Allen, along with other evidence that investigators are using to assess why he acted.

Allen’s brother contacted police in New London, Connecticut, after receiving the writings, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. The New London Police Department said in a statement it was contacted at 10:49 p.m., about two hours after the shooting, by an individual who wanted to share information related to it, and said it then notified federal law enforcement.

Allen’s sister, who lives in Maryland, told investigators that her brother had legally purchased several weapons from a California gun store and kept them at their parents’ home in Torrance without their knowledge, according to the official. The official also said she described Allen as prone to making radical statements.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said authorities believed Allen traveled by train from California to Chicago and then onto Washington, where he checked himself in as a guest at the hotel where the gala dinner was held. Blanche said Allen is believed to have acted alone and is set to face criminal charges Monday.

Investigators said Allen attempted to charge toward the ballroom at the Washington Hilton but was tackled to the ground, setting off a violent scene in which shots were fired. AP reported that Trump was hurried off the stage unharmed and guests ducked for cover beneath tables as authorities moved through the ballroom.

Blanche told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that “It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,” according to the AP report. Trump later addressed reporters at the White House, saying, “It’s always shocking when something like this happens. Happened to me, a little bit. And that never changes,” according to AP.

Investigators and law enforcement also described how the episode unfolded in the minutes after the gala began. AP said the shooting occurred minutes after the event got underway at security barricades, prompting Secret Service and other authorities to rush the room as guests ducked under tables. AP reported that after an initial attempt to resume the event, it was scrapped for the night and will be rescheduled.

While investigators worked to piece together motive, AP reported additional details about Allen’s background through social media and related materials. AP said social media posts that appear to match Allen portrayed him as a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer, including a May 2025 profile photo that the report said appears to match the appearance of the man in a photo posted Saturday night by Trump that showed Allen after being taken into custody.

AP also reported that Allen’s education included a bachelor’s degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, according to a May 2025 LinkedIn photo described by AP. AP further reported that a local ABC station in Los Angeles included an interview with Allen during his senior year of college and that investigators said Allen contributed $25 to a Democratic Party political action committee supporting Kamala Harris in 2024, according to federal campaign finance records.

AP said it limits the use of attackers’ writings and social media posts to avoid amplifying their views or encouraging copycat actions, and said it focused on the victims and the investigation rather than detailed reproduction of the suspect’s statements.