The FBI is investigating a second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, who was out golfing at the Trump National Golf Club in Florida when gunshots were heard.
Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw confirmed in a press conference on Sunday afternoon that the Secret Service contacted law enforcement at 1:30 p.m. ET about “shots fired,” with the area immediately sealed off. A witness who spotted someone fleeing the scene in a black Nissan was able to get a photo of both the car and its license plate, and authorities were able to detain the suspect shortly after.
Here’s everything we know so far about the second assassination attempt on Trump.
The FBI says it was an attempted assassination
“The FBI has responded to West Palm Beach Florida and is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump,” the FBI said in a statement.
The Secret Service is also conducting its own investigation in conjunction with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Was there a gun involved?
Bradshaw stated the suspect had been hiding in some bushes, and that an “AK-47 style rifle with a scope” was hidden in the bushes in his hiding spot. Two backpacks with ceramic tile and a GoPro camera were also hidden.
Trump and the suspect “probably had 400-500 yards” separating them when the suspect was spotted, the sheriff said.
Trump was one hole away from the suspect
The sheriff detailed that the Secret Service routinely has an agent stationed one golf hole ahead of the former president, so they are able to scout out the area. This agent spotted the gun barrel sticking out of its hiding place and “immediately engage” the individual, prompting the suspect to flee.
What we know about the suspect
The suspect’s name is Ryan Wesley Routh. His photo and background will be released when available to the public.
Routh, of Greensboro, North Carolina, has an extensive criminal history in that state, with charges including “weapons law violations” and “terrorist threats.”
According to the News and Observer, Routh is registered as an unaffiliated voter in North Carolina but chose to vote in the Democratic primary, as the state allows unaffiliated voters to choose which primary they vote in.
He was also interviewed by Semafor in 2023 about the war in Ukraine, as he was the director of a group he founded working to bring foreign troops to help the war effort against Russia. In that interview, he complained about Ukraine not admitting enough foreign troops, specifically Afghan soldiers, out of fear that they were Russian spies. The outlet reported that a Ukrainian interviewed at the time described Routh as “a bit over the top.”
Trump is safe and unharmed
A Secret Service representative confirmed the former president was not injured. The former president also released his own statement, saying, “I AM SAFE AND WELL. Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!”
Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), said he spoke with Trump after the incident, and he was in “good spirits.”
What charges the suspect could be facing
The state attorney for Palm Beach County, David Aronberg, said the suspect will first be charged at the state level but could face federal charges as well. He added that his prosecutors are working on warrant and pretrial detention applications.
“Our filing of the warrant and charges at the state level does not preclude the federal charges that could be coming,” he said. “But in the meantime, it looks like the warrants and a pretrial detention motion will happen first.”
Jeffrey Veltri, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Miami field office, has directed the public to contact the office’s tip line at 1-(800)-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov if they have information to assist with the investigation.
Veltri also advised the public to avoid the area around the golf course as the investigation continues. Bradshaw also assured that the authorities will make it “convenient” for the public to navigate to areas around the area, and there is “no more danger.”
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