WHCA dinner shooting updates: Suspect described himself as 'friendly federal assassin,' sources say

A group of high school students who were tutored by Cole Allen, the alleged suspect in the White House correspondents' dinner shooting incident, shared a statement late Sunday describing Allen as "generally very intelligent" and "normal and friendly."

The statement was released by Dylan Wakayama, the president of a local nonprofit organization called Asian American Civic Trust.

"According to these students, Mr. Allen was knowledgeable across a broad range of subjects and generally very intelligent," the statement read. "They regarded him as entirely normal and friendly in their interactions. Additionally, they expressed profound shock upon learning he may be connected to the events of April 25th."

Wakayama said he did not personally know Allen.

-ABC News' Emily Kohlberg

President Trump spoke to senior CBS correspondent Norah O'Donnell about the shooting incident at the Washington Hilton, saying he "wasn't worried" about injuries when gunshots rang out.

"I wasn't worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world," Trump told "60 Minutes" in an interview on Sunday.

He also said he wasn't sure if he was the alleged attacker's target, but "it sounds it to me."

"I read a manifesto. He says he's radicalized," Trump went on. "He was a Christian, a believer, and then he became an anti-Christian. And he had a lot of change. He's been going through a lot based on what he wrote. His brother complained about him, and I think we reported him to the police... his family was very concerned. He was, probably a pretty sick guy."

The president then recounted his memory of the incident, saying he knew something was wrong by the first lady's facial expression.

After being ushered off the stage, Trump said he was brought to a room, where he urged Secret Service agents to let the dinner continue.

"And then I got up and we went to a hold room for a while, and I tried to get them to continue the event, if possible," Trump said.

"You wanted to go back in?" O'Donnell asked.

"I did, I really did," Trump remarked.

-ABC News' Nicholas Kerr and Meghan Mistry

Former President Barack Obama responded to Saturday night's shooting at the White House correspondents' dinner, writing on X that it's essential to "reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy."

He added that the incident was a reminder of the "courage and sacrifice" that the Secret Service makes every day.

"Although we don't yet have the details about the motives behind last night's shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner, it's incumbent upon all us to reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy," he said in the post. "It's also a sobering reminder of the courage and sacrifice that U.S. Secret Service Agents show every day. I'm grateful to them - and thankful that the agent who was shot is going to be okay."

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie

The White House Correspondents' Association dinner shooting suspect allegedly sent a message to his family, just before attempting to carry out an attack at the dinner Saturday evening, in which he described himself as a "friendly federal assassin," sources familiar with his message told ABC News.

The suspect, Cole Allen, wrote that he planned to target administration officials, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest, according to sources familiar with his message.

In the message shared with family members, Allen apparently said that while dinner guests were not his "targets," he "would still go through most everyone here to get to the targets if it were absolutely necessary."

Allen did not mention President Donald Trump by name in his message, the sources said. Allen did write that FBI Director Kash Patel was not a target but did not explain why, the sources said.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday morning on NBC that the suspect was targeting administration officials "likely including the president," but added that the information was preliminary because the investigation is ongoing.

-ABC News' Katherine Faulders, Pierre Thomas, Jack Date and Luke Barr

White House Correspondents' Association President Weijia Jiang issued a statement Sunday afternoon about the attack at Saturday night's White House Correspondents' Association dinner, calling it "a harrowing moment for everyone in attendance."

"We express our deepest gratitude to the U.S. Secret Service and all law enforcement personnel who ensured the safety of everyone in the ballroom and beyond," Jiang wrote on behalf of the WHCA. "Their actions protected thousands of guests, and we wish a full and speedy recovery to the officer who was injured in the line of duty."

Jiang also expressed gratitude that "everyone in attendance was unharmed, including the president, the first lady, and the vice president."

"Our dinner exists to celebrate the First Amendment and the hard daily work of the journalists who defend it. Last night, those journalists showed exactly the kind of calm and courage that work demands, jumping into reporting immediately after the incident unfolded. We are proud of everyone in that room," Jiang further wrote.

The White House Correspondents' Association board will meet "to assess what happened and determine how to proceed," Jiang's statement concluded, adding that the organization would provide updates "as soon as any are available."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the suspected shooter at Saturday night's White House Correspondents' Association dinner intended to kill President Donald Trump.

"What was supposed to be a fun night at the @WHCA dinner with President Trump delivering jokes and celebrating free speech was hijacked by a depraved crazy person who sought to assassinate the President and kill as many top Trump administration officials as possible," Leavitt wrote in a post on X Sunday.

"I was with President Trump and the First Lady back stage after we were quickly ushered to safety by Secret Service. President Trump was truly fearless, but as he said last night, this political violence needs to end," Leavitt wrote.

"Thank you to law enforcement for keeping all of us safe, including the brave agent who took a bullet to the chest and immediately moved to neutralize the shooter. Pray for our country," the post concluded.

Handwritten notes found in the hotel room of the suspect in the White House Correspondents' Association dinner shooting Saturday appear to have been left with the intent that officials would find them, according to multiple law enforcement sources.

Sources tell ABC News that the suspect, Cole Allen, allegedly made brief statements to law enforcement officials after his arrest that he was focusing on Trump administration officials, and that he allegedly indicated that authorities would be able to find his thoughts in written form.

Sources say early evidence suggests that Allen's plans were to target as many people as possible in a mass shooting.

According to law enforcement sources, the alleged writings expressed a distaste for the Trump administration and also for Washington, D.C., elites.

Other similar writings were found in Allen's California home, sources told ABC News.

-ABC News' Jack Date, Pierre Thomas, Luke Barr, Aaron Katersky, Josh Margolin, and Katherine Faulders

President Ronald Reagan was shot outside the same Hilton Hotel of the White House correspondents' dinner in 1981.

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr. outside the same Hilton hotel.

President Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr. on March 30, 1981.

The event prompted redesigning the property that increased security and added a special presidential suite near the entrance where chief executives could be taken.

Trump was dispatched there briefly after the incident Saturday night.

AP News contributed to this story.