Update: This story has been updated with information from a press conference
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Sunday that it is investigating “what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.”
“The Secret Service, in conjunction with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, is investigating a protective incident involving former President Donald Trump that occurred shortly before 2 p.m.,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.
Trump said that he was “safe and well” in a campaign email that was sent after a protective incident involving Trump at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
West Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a Sunday afternoon press conference that the suspect was engaged by a Secret Service agent on the golf course, approximately 300-500 yards away from Trump. He said that the agent spotted a rifle barrel poking through a chain link fence at the edge of the property.
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Bradshaw said that an AK-47 style rifle, two backpacks and a Go Pro camera were found in the area where the suspect was found.
A Secret Service representative said that all shots were fired by the agent.
Person ‘believed to be connected’ to incident arrested
President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland are monitoring the situation and Vice President Kamala Harris said that she is glad that her political opponent is safe adding, “violence has no place in America.”
The Martin County Sheriff’s Department said in a Facebook post that deputies had arrested an individual, “believed to be connected” to the shooting.
The New York Times, CNN and Fox News identified the suspect in custody as Ryan Wesley Routh. USA TODAY has not independently confirmed the person’s identity.
The incident occurred on the same day that the Republican nominee posted “I hate Taylor Swift” on his Truth Social platform and his running mate Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) admitted that he had “no regrets” for propagating fake stories about Haitian migrants that led to multiple threats in the town of Springfield, Ohio.
Where is Trump International Golf Club?
Trump International Golf Club is located in West Palm Beach Florida, approximately 4.5 miles west of Mar-a-Lago.
Trump campaign schedule this week
Trump is scheduled to introduce a new cryptocurrency business from Mar-a-Lago Monday and hold three campaign events this week:
Vance is scheduled to make remarks in Sparta, Michigan, Eau Claire, Wisconsin and Raleigh, North Carolina.
Incident comes two months after assassination attempt
This incident occurred two months after the former president was injured in an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania on July 13. That incident has sparked an investigation and led to the resignation of then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who had led the agency since 2022.
In the subsequent weeks, Trump has increased security at his events with him often speaking behind bulletproof glass at outdoor rallies.
