The man accused of storming the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, had been building up weapons for years before the attack, according to a law enforcement intelligence profile reviewed by Bloomberg.
Authorities, according to Bloomberg, say Allen bought a Maverick 12-gauge pump-action shotgun from Turner’s Outdoorsman in Torrance in August 2025. Before that, he had already purchased an Armscor semi-automatic pistol from CAP Tactical Firearms in Lawndale in October 2023.
These purchases were made quietly over time, long before the incident that shocked Washington.
Cole Thomas Allen built arsenal for years before attacking White House gala
Allen, who earned a mechanical engineering degree from Caltech in 2017 and was later studying computer science at California State University-Dominguez Hills as recently as 2025, travelled across the country by train.
Officials said he took Amtrak from Los Angeles to Chicago, and then continued on to Washington. He later checked into the Washington Hilton hotel, where he stayed for several days before the attack.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on CBS’s Face the Nation that Allen appeared to have planned his movements carefully ahead of the incident.
The case has also raised concerns about train security. Unlike airports, Amtrak passengers are not required to declare firearms when travelling. Authorities have not yet confirmed how Allen moved the weapons across state lines. However, Blanche pushed back against immediate calls for tighter rules.
“I don’t think the narrative here is about changing laws,” he said.
Manifesto sent to family members
According to Bloomberg, investigators also found that Allen sent a long manifesto to family members, which was reviewed by Bloomberg.
In the document, he appeared to call President Donald Trump a “traitor” and accused him of committing crimes. He also wrote about trying to reduce casualties, saying he would use buckshot rather than slugs. At the end of the document, he signed off as “Friendly Federal Assassin.
Reacting to the case, President Donald Trump told Fox News that Allen had been driven by deep anger. “He had a lot of hatred in his heart for quite a while,” Trump said. “It was a religious thing, it was strongly anti-Christian.”
Trump also mentioned that Allen’s brother had alerted police in New London, Connecticut, after seeing the manifesto. “His family said he had big difficulty,” Trump added. “Maybe they should have reported him a little bit more strongly, probably, but it’s a hard thing to do, I guess.”
Possible target was US officials
Preliminary findings suggest Allen may have been targeting government officials, though authorities have not confirmed specific names.
Blanche said investigators believe that was the direction of his intent, but he did not share further details. He also confirmed that Allen is not cooperating with law enforcement.
Allen is currently facing two federal charges: using a firearm during a crime of violence and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. Officials say more charges are likely as the investigation continues. He is scheduled to appear in federal court in Washington for arraignment on Monday.