Donald Trump survived what the FBI described as an “apparent assassination attempt” in which a man with an AK-47 was shot by a Secret Service agent at a golf club in Florida.
After emergency personnel rushed to the scene following the shooting and a man believed to have been carrying an assault rifle was shot, the US secret service said former President Donald Trump was safe. The attack reportedly occurred after a Secret Service agent walking a few holes in front of the president on the plaza spotted a rifle barrel in a row of trees and alerted the rest of Trump’s security team.
The suspect dropped his weapon and fled in an SUV. Officials said he was then taken into custody in a neighboring county. He was later identified as Ryan Wesley Routh.
Routh is said to have tried to shoot the businessman as he was playing golf at the Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach, near his Mar-a-Lago, Florida, estate.
A law enforcement official confirmed the suspect’s identity to The Associated Press but spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment on an ongoing investigation.
An AK-47-style firearm with a scope was reportedly recovered at the crime scene near the Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach, two officials said. No injuries were reported.
A Go-Pro camera was also set up to film the incident, authorities said at a West Palm Beach police news conference late Sunday and released images of the grassy area where the suspect was found.
It was also revealed that the former president was “275-465 meters” away from the shooter at the time of the incident.
Additional reports from the scene said a man with an “assault rifle-type weapon” approached the golf course fence and may have attempted to push the rifle barrel through, at which point Secret Service agents opened fire and gave chase. The suspect fled in an SUV. Local police then stopped the vehicle and arrested the suspect.
The sheriff of neighboring West Palm Beach County said the suspect was unarmed and did not ask why he was being detained.
Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said the suspect believed to be involved in the incident “was unarmed when he removed him from his vehicle,” and that the man was calm and collected and showed little emotion when he was stopped by police. The suspect did not ask any questions about why he was stopped.
“He never asked, ‘What is this all about?’ Apparently there were police with long guns, lights flashing, all sorts of things going on. He never asked any questions,” Snyder said.
The U.S. Secret Service is investigating and announced that the incident occurred just before 2 p.m. A Secret Service spokesman claimed that “the former president is safe.”
After the incident, Trump released a statement through his campaign, saying, “There was a shooting near me, but before the rumors get out of control, I want you to hear this first: I am safe and well!”
“Nothing is going to stop me. I will never surrender!”
About two months ago, President Trump was shot in an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, with a bullet grazing his ear.
Donald Trump’s son, Donald Jr., tweeted a series of previously unconfirmed claims about the incident after the incident. He posted: There was a shooting at the Trump Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida. Local police say an AK-47 was found in the bushes. The Trump campaign released a statement reassuring former President Trump’s safety. A suspect has reportedly been arrested. “
President Trump returned to Florida this weekend from a West Coast trip that included a Friday night rally in Las Vegas and a fundraiser in Utah. The Trump campaign did not immediately release further details.
A spokesman for the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office in Florida County said no injuries were reported.
The White House said both President Joe Biden and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris have been briefed and are “relieved” to know President Trump is safe and are keeping them updated on the status of the investigation.
Harris, who is running against Trump in November, tweeted: “Safe. There is no place for violence in the United States.”
One law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation, said officers were investigating whether the shots were fired near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach or on unsafe grounds. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
That’s the worst thing I’ve ever known.”
President Trump often spends the morning playing golf before lunching at Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach, one of three golf clubs he owns in the state.
Security measures for President Trump have been stepped up since the July assassination attempt. When he was at Trump Tower in New York, a line of dump trucks was parked against the building’s front wall, and he has begun speaking at outdoor rallies behind a fence made of bulletproof glass.
Messages left by campaign officials seeking information about the security situation and whereabouts of Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, were not immediately returned.
Max Exquisa of Palm Beach described the emergency response outside President Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach.
“What I saw was five black SUVs with no license plates blocking a grey Mercedes in front of the golf course. About 20-plus police cars came rushing out from the surrounding streets,” he said.