Scott Bessent’s would-be assassin revealed to be trans woman on a ‘mission’ like ‘Luigi Mangione’

WWLP had initially reported on English by given name Ryan, but in their updated report they state that "This story previously identified the defendant as Ryan Michael English, the name used in charging documents. In a memo Wednesday, English’s attorney clarified that her client uses the name Riley Jane."

"Judith dear god I am so sorry," read words scrawled on the back of a receipt found in English's pocket, per the affidavit. "You must understand I can feel myself dying slowly b/c of my heart. This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters. I love you. This is awful. Im so sorry. I love u. Please stay alive and heal. you can. you are strong enough. F*ck them for pushing us so far. you dont deserve this. Im so sorry for lying and plotting and lying. Please survive [7 hearts]."

This intended violence follows an incident in Vermont where two persons, a man and woman, both of whom identified as trans, engaged in a shoot out which cost both the male and a Vermont Border Patrol officer their lives. The woman, who is non-binary, sustained injuries and is believed to have been the one to fire on the agent.

English told authorities that he was intending to kill now-confirmed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who testified before a Senate committee on that day during a confirmation hearing. The affidavit states that English had approached a Capitol Police Officer near the South Door of the Capitol Building, where both branches of Congress meet and the confirmation hearing was held.

"I'd like to turn myself in," English reportedly said to the officer, revealing that he had weapons on him. He said he had intended to "kill Scott Bessent." A search after English was detained by law enforcement revealed that English was in possession of two Molotov cocktails, comprised of two 50 ml bottles of vodka with cloth on top, a folding knife, and a lighter. The cloth, English told officers, was soaked in hand sanitizer.

"I didn’t have a plan in my mind," English told officers, per WUSA9. I" felt like I had to do this. I felt like I was on a mission… Maybe I told myself to have faith and just see where this goes and I had been thinking about for this for a while because of Luigi Mangione. I have seen the response to that and that situation… It was not an everyday thing and it extremely shook up everything." Mangione was arrested in the cold-blooded killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thomson, who was gunned down on a New York City street just a few months ago.

English's car was searched as well, during which officers recovered a 750 ml bottle of 100 proof vodka and a grey sweatshirt that matched the fabric on the top of the Molotov cocktails. There were also bomb-making materials in the car.

"Police allege her intentions in Washington included burning down the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. According to the police report, all this was “specifically to ‘depose’ these political offices and send a message,'" stated WWLP.

English intended to kill "'Nazi' Secretary of Defense, Peter Hegseth, and/or the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, and/or burning down the Heritage Foundation," the affidavit stated. "These actions were specifically to 'depose' these political offices and send a message." After stopping in a library in Chevy Chase, Maryland, en route to the capital, English changed his mind about who to target upon learning about Bessent's confirmation.

"Originally, English’s thoughts were to use the small bottles of vodka to start fires and later to wrap them in rags soaked in alcohol, light them and throw them at Bessent’s feet." The affidavit, read, going on to note that English told authorities "in the event English was able to get close enough to Bessent, English would have stabbed him with the knife that English brought from home."

English was prepared to die as a result of the attack, perhaps intending to commit suicide by cop.