New London police said the call came more than two hours after gunfire disrupted the Washington event.
WASHINGTON, DC — The brother of the man accused in the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting contacted police in Connecticut late Saturday about writings sent to relatives, adding a new timeline question to the federal investigation into the attack at the Washington Hilton.
The call is now part of a widening review of what relatives, police and federal agents knew before and after the shooting. Authorities have identified the suspect as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California. Officials said Allen sent a lengthy message to family members shortly before he tried to breach security at the annual dinner, where President Donald Trump, administration officials, journalists and guests had gathered.
New London Police Chief Brian Wright said the department was contacted at 10:49 p.m. Saturday by a person who wanted to share information believed to be connected to the Washington shooting. That caller was later identified by officials as Allen’s brother, who lives in Connecticut. The call came about two hours after the attack began at the Washington Hilton. Wright said New London police quickly contacted federal law enforcement and helped interview the caller. The department later closed its local case and referred questions to federal investigators.
The timing matters because Trump said Sunday that Allen’s family had raised concerns about him. “He was a sick guy,” Trump said in an interview, referring to what he described as Allen’s manifesto. Officials have said the writings were sent to relatives minutes before the shooting. The message reportedly described political grievances and named Trump administration officials as targets. Investigators are still working to determine when relatives saw the writings, when they understood the threat and how quickly that information reached law enforcement.
Authorities said Allen approached or rushed a security checkpoint outside the ballroom area while armed with a shotgun, a handgun and knives. The dinner was being held inside the Washington Hilton, a longtime site for the White House Correspondents’ Association event. Federal officials said security personnel stopped Allen before he reached the ballroom. Trump and other senior officials were escorted away from the event, and the dinner was canceled after the shooting disrupted the program. Officials have not said that Allen had any direct contact with Trump.
Federal investigators are reviewing Allen’s travel, weapons, digital messages and contacts with relatives before the attack. Officials said Allen had recently traveled from California to Washington and had checked into the hotel where the dinner was held. The writings sent to family members are being treated as central evidence in the case. Investigators have described them as rambling and politically driven, with references to Trump administration policies and a phrase in which Allen identified himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin.” It was not immediately clear whether Allen had an attorney who could comment on the allegations.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner brings together elected officials, senior aides, journalists, entertainers and guests in a single room, making security planning a major part of the event. Saturday’s attack has renewed questions about screening, hotel access and how quickly threat information moves between local police and federal agencies. The Washington Hilton is not a government building, but events involving a president are protected by federal security teams. Witnesses described confusion after the gunfire, with guests waiting inside while officers moved people away from danger.
The investigation also has reached relatives in other states. Federal agents and local police in Maryland interviewed Allen’s sister in Rockville after the shooting, according to officials familiar with the inquiry. Investigators are looking at whether family members had earlier signs that Allen might act violently. Some relatives told investigators that Allen had made radical statements before, but authorities have not said whether any earlier report to police or federal agencies was made before Saturday. New London police said only that their department received the Connecticut call at 10:49 p.m.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said federal authorities are treating the attack as a targeted act against public officials. Charges were expected to center on the armed assault, threats against federal officials and weapons allegations, though prosecutors had not released a full charging document by late Sunday. The FBI has taken the lead on the investigation, with help from the Secret Service and local police. Investigators are expected to present more details through court filings, including what Allen allegedly wrote, how he obtained the weapons and how he moved through security.
Inside the dinner, attendees described a sudden shift from a formal program to fear and uncertainty. Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, said the board would meet to review what happened and decide how to proceed. Trump later said the dinner should be rescheduled, while also pointing to security concerns at the hotel. Guests who had been seated for the program were held or moved as officers secured the building. The association did not immediately announce a new date.
The Connecticut call remains one of the clearest public markers in the timeline. Police say it came at 10:49 p.m. Saturday, after the shooting had already disrupted the dinner. Federal investigators are still reviewing the message Allen sent, the response by relatives and the sequence of law enforcement notifications.
Author note: Last updated April 27, 2026.