U.S. President Donald Trump said the shooter’s manifesto contained anti-Christian motives, speaking on April 26 during Fox News Sunday.
“If we read his manifesto, it becomes clear he was mentally unstable. The suspect had been carrying deep hatred in his heart for quite some time,” Trump said, adding that the document was linked to religion and was “clearly anti-Christian,” according to Deutsche Welle .
Trump also noted that the suspect’s family had been aware of his issues and had even contacted law enforcement. “Perhaps they should have reported him more decisively,” he said.
Meanwhile, Fox News The Sunday Briefing host Jacqueline Heinrich wrote on X that the manifesto included intentions to attack members of the U.S. administration. She added that the suspect’s social media accounts contained numerous anti-Trump and anti-Christian posts.
Heinrich also reported that the suspect’s brother, Cole Allen, had informed police in New London, Connecticut, about the manifesto, which had allegedly been sent to family members before the incident.
The Secret Service and Montgomery County police questioned Avriana Allen, the suspect’s sister, at their home in Rockville, Maryland. The suspect had purchased two handguns and a shotgun from Cap Tactical Firearms and stored them at his parents’ house, the journalist said. He reportedly regularly visited a shooting range to improve his skills, was a member of The Wide Awakes youth group, and took part in the No Kings protest in California against the Trump administration.
According to two sources cited by CBS, the suspect told law enforcement he had intended to open fire on representatives of Donald Trump’s administration.
In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the motive is still under investigation, but preliminary information suggests the targets were administration officials, “possibly including President Donald Trump,” BBC reported.
Blanche also said investigators are checking reports that the suspect may have assembled a weapon at the hotel, adding that the attacker “did not get very far” and barely crossed the security perimeter. He likely traveled from Los Angeles to Chicago and then to Washington by train.
At the same time, Buckingham Palace stated that King Charles’s state visit to the U.S. would proceed as planned. CBS reported, citing sources, that between five and eight shots were fired during the incident. A video shared by Trump shows a man running past security personnel before being chased.
Earlier, police said there had been an exchange of gunfire between security officers and the suspect, without specifying the number of shots.
Acting Washington police chief Jeffrey Carroll said the suspect was not injured by gunfire but was taken to hospital for evaluation. He was a guest at the Washington Hilton hotel and was “armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and several knives.”
“At this point, it appears he acted alone,” Carroll said.
Later, Trump posted a photo showing a half-naked man lying on the floor with his hands tied behind his back, surrounded by Secret Service agents.
BBC Verify also reviewed the suspect’s online activity. According to Los Angeles County voter registration records, he had not declared a party affiliation. Federal Election Commission data show that in October 2024 he donated $25 via ActBlue to Kamala Harris’s campaign.
On LinkedIn, he described himself as a mechanical engineer, game developer, and lecturer. He studied at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and was involved in a Christian student community.
In 2025, he earned a master’s degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and shared a photo marking the occasion. He also developed and released a game titled Bohrdom on the Steam platform.
Facebook features family photos showing him smiling during Christmas and graduation events.
In December 2024, he was named “teacher of the month” by the tutoring company C2 Education. According to LinkedIn, he had worked there part-time since 2020.
U.S. federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro said the suspect faces two charges: use of a firearm during a violent crime and armed assault on a federal employee. Formal charges are expected to be filed in federal court on April 27.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed support for Donald Trump, stating that violence has no place in democratic societies.
“I am glad to hear that President Trump, the First Lady, and others are safe and remain resilient after the alarming shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Violence has no place in our democratic societies. I wish President Trump well amid today’s challenges,” he said.
