D.C. gala gunman wrote 'manifesto,' traveled from California before attack, officials say

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Cole Tomas Allen, the suspected gunman who rattled Washington’s leaders by exchanging gunfire with officials just outside a press gala late Saturday, had made a long journey from Southern California and written a “manifesto” threatening Trump administration officials before the attack, officials said.Allen, a 31-year-old Caltech graduate and high school tutor from Torrance, is believed to have taken a train first to Chicago and then to D.C.before checking into the Washington Hilton with two guns he had previously purchased, authorities said.

The attacker managed to bypass several layers of security at the White House Correspondents’ Assn.dinner before being taken down by armed agents outside the ballroom where President Trump and an array of other top federal officials were seated.Neither Allen nor a legal representative for him could be reached for comment Sunday.According to Trump, Allen wrote a “manifesto” prior to the attack, and shared it with family.

His brother flagged it to local law enforcement in New London, Conn., late Saturday.The New York Post reported that Allen described himself in the document as the “Friendly Federal Assassin” and revealed he intended to kill Trump administration officials.New London Police Deputy Chief John Perry said that around 10:30 p.m.

a man came to the lobby of the agency’s headquarters to report that he’d received a troubling email from Allen.The relative initially thought it was spam, but then saw the news of what had unfolded in D.C.

and felt he needed to report it.Perry would not say what was in the email, and did not know exactly what time it was sent, but said that the relative said he only saw and opened it around 10 p.m.“I think he was watching what was going on and kind of put 2 and 2 together and said, ‘I need to go to my local PD,’” Perry said.Police officials provided the email to the Secret Serv...