Trump was target of apparent assassination attempt at his Florida golf club, FBI says
A suspect was arrested further north in Florida, as Republican nominee says he's safe and well
The FBI said Sunday it was investigating "what appears to be an attempted assassination" of Donald Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla., just nine weeks after the Republican presidential nominee survived another such attempt. Trump said he was safe and well.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said U.S. Secret Service agents fired at a man pointing a high-powered rifle with a scope into the club as Trump was on the course.
Bradshaw said the gunman also had two backpacks hanging on a fence and a GoPro camera, and that he was about 400 yards to 500 yards away (365 to 457 metres) from Trump and hiding in shrubbery while the former president played golf on a nearby hole.
The person dropped the weapon and fled in an SUV, and was later taken into custody in a neighbouring county.
Incident follows July shooting at Pennsylvania rally
Police arrested Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Kaaawa, Hawaii, three law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. The officials identified the suspect to AP but spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.
The incident was the latest jarring moment in a campaign year marked by unprecedented upheaval. It occurred roughly two months after Trump was shot during an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, and a bullet grazed his ear. Only a week later, President Joe Biden withdrew from the race.
In an email to supporters, Trump said: "There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumours start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!
"Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!"
The golf course was partially shut down for Trump as he played, and agents were a few holes ahead of him when they noticed the person with the firearm, Bradshaw said. There are several areas around the perimeter of the property where golfers are visible from the fence line.
Secret Service agents and officers in golf carts and on ATVs generally secure the area several holes ahead and behind Trump when he golfs. Agents also usually bring an armoured vehicle onto the course to quickly shelter Trump should a threat arise.
Trump had returned to Florida this weekend from a West Coast swing that included a Friday night rally in Las Vegas and a Utah fundraiser. His campaign had not advised Trump's plans for Sunday. He often spends the morning playing golf, before having lunch at the club, one of three he owns in the state.
He has had a stepped-up security footprint since the assassination attempt in July. When he has been at Trump Tower in New York, a lineup of dump trucks have parked in a wall outside the building. And at outdoor rallies, he now speaks from behind an enclosure of bulletproof glass.
Trump was returned Sunday to his private Mar-a-Lago club, where he resides in neighbouring Palm Beach, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Suspect apprehended in minutes
Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder said the suspect was apprehended within minutes of the FBI, Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office putting out a "very urgent BOLO" — or "be on the lookout" alert" detailing the specific vehicle sought, license plate number and occupant description.
Snyder said his deputies "immediately flooded" northbound I-95, deploying to every exit between the Palm Beach County line to the south and St. Lucie County line to the north.
"One of my road patrol units saw the vehicle, matched the tag and we set up on the vehicle," Snyder said, "We pinched in on the car, got it safely stopped and got the driver in custody."
Snyder told WPTV that the suspect "was not armed when we took him out of the car."
The man had a calm, flat demeanour and showed little emotion when he was stopped by police, Snyder said, saying the suspect did not question why he was being pulled over.
"He never asked, 'what is this about?' Obviously, law enforcement with long rifles, blue lights, a lot going on. He never questioned it," Snyder said.
Harris, Biden glad violence was averted
Routh, the suspect, has been interviewed by U.S. media outlets including the New York Times and Semafar in the past three years, on the subject of Americans volunteering for the war in Ukraine. It appears that Routh had once travelled to Kyiv in early 2022.
Routh also told Semafor in March 2023 that he had been trying to recruit U.S.-trained Afghan fighters to fight for Ukraine against Russia but that the Defence Ministry in Kyiv had not agreed to issue visas to them.
Social media accounts on Facebook and X appearing to belong to Routh were suspended late Sunday. In posts seen before then, the account holder appears to track political news while sometimes tagging politicians like Trump, Tulsi Gabbard and Nikki Haley in comments.
The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, had both been briefed and would be kept updated on the investigation. The White House added they were "relieved" to know Trump is safe.
Harris, in a statement said she was "glad" Trump was safe, adding that "violence has no place in America."
Biden echoed that thought in his own statement and added that he had directed his team to ensure the Secret Service "has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President's continued safety."
With files from Reuters