DC gala shooting suspect aired grievances against Trump in writings to family

WASHINGTON, April 27, (AP): The man accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner railed against Trump administration policies and referred to himself as a "Friendly Federal Assassin” in writings sent to family members minutes before an attack that authorities increasingly believe was politically motivated, according to a message reviewed by The Associated Press.

The writings, sent shortly before shots were fired Saturday night at the Washington Hilton, made repeated references to President Donald Trump without naming him directly and alluded to grievances over a range of administration actions, including US  strikes on boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Investigators are treating the writings, along with a trail of social media posts and interviews with family members, as some of the clearest evidence yet of the suspect’s mindset and possible motives.

Authorities uncovered what one law enforcement official described as numerous anti-Trump social media posts linked to the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old California man accused of trying to breach a security checkpoint at the dinner while armed with multiple guns and knives.

Allen’s brother contacted police in New London, Connecticut, after receiving the writings, according to the law enforcement official, who was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

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.

The police department said it then immediately notified federal law enforcement. Allen’s sister, who lives in Maryland, told investigators 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.

She described her brother as prone to making radical statements, the official said. The writings examined by the AP ran more than 1,000 words and read as a rambling, deeply personal message, opening almost jarringly with a casual "hello everybody!” before shifting into apologies to family members, co-workers and even strangers he feared could be caught in the violence.