The man accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner – already identified by security authorities as Cole Thomas Allen – sent messages to family members minutes before the attack, which took place at Washington Hilton, on Saturday night (25).
In them, he referred to himself as a “government killer” and criticized the administration of United States President Donald Trump. As a result, local authorities increasingly believe that the motivations for the shootings were political.
Criticism of Trump
The messages made repeated references to the Republican, without naming him directly, and alluded to complaints about a series of actions by his administration and recent events, including US attacks on boats believed to be used to smuggle drugs in the eastern Pacific region, sources involved in the investigations said.
In addition to the texts sent to family members, social media posts previously made by the shooter are being evaluated, as well as interviews with family members, in the search for clearer evidence surrounding the suspect’s possible motivations.
Allen’s sister told investigators that her brother had legally purchased several guns from a California store and stored them at their parents’ Torrance home without their knowledge. She also described him as prone to taking radical actions, officials involved in the matter said.
*With information from the Associated Press.
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