Former US president and Republican party nominee Donald Trump appears to have been targeted by another assassination attempt while playing at his golf course in Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday. Here’s what we know so far.
What happened?
Former president Donald Trump is safe following what the FBI says “appears to be an attempted assassination” while playing golf, just nine weeks after another attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Local authorities said the US Secret Service agents protecting Trump fired at a man pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope as Trump was playing on one of his Florida golf courses in West Palm Beach.
The Secret Service said its agents were accompanying Trump on the golf course, when one who was securing holes ahead of Trump spotted a gun barrel in some bushes near the property line.
Multiple agents engaged the gunman and fired at least four rounds at him. The gunman then dropped his rifle, two backpacks, a Go Pro camera and other items and fled in a black Nissan car.
Palm Beach County sheriff Ric Bradshaw said a witness managed to take a photo of the suspected gunman’s car and license plate and gave it to authorities.
Shortly after, sheriff’s deputies in neighbouring Martin County stopped the suspect on Interstate 95 and took him into custody.
Who is the suspect?
Law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that the man who pointed the rifle and was arrested is Ryan Wesley Routh. The officials identified the suspect on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the ongoing investigation.
Reuters found profiles on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn for a Ryan Routh, and public access to the Facebook and X profiles was removed hours after the shooting.
The three accounts bearing Routh’s name suggest he was an avid supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia.
On April 21, Routh directed an X message to Elon Musk, in which he wrote: “I would like to buy a rocket from you. I wish to load it with a warhead for Putins Black sea mansion bunker to end him. Can you give me a price please.”
Bradshaw, the Palm Beach County sheriff, said that when people get into the shrubbery around the course, “they’re pretty much out of sight”. Bradshaw said the entire golf course would have been lined with law enforcement if Trump were the sitting president, but because he’s not, “security is limited to the areas the Secret Service deems possible”.
Trump’s protective detail has been higher than some of his peers because of his high visibility and his campaign to seek the White House again. His security was bolstered days before the July assassination attempt in Pennsylvania because of a threat on Trump’s life from Iran, US officials said.
In an email to supporters, Trump said: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!”
Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic opponent in the presidential election, posted on X that she had been briefed on the reports of gunshots fired.
“I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”
Trump has not announced any changes to his schedule and is set to speak live on X on Monday night from his Mar-a-Lago resort to launch his sons’ crypto platform.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and Reuters)
