Sunday, the FBI said it was investigating “what appears to be an attempted assassination” of former President and GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach, Florida, golf club, only nine weeks after he survived another attempt to take his life. Trump confirmed he was well and safe.
The suspect’s name has been reported as Ryan Wesley Routh.
The United States Secret Service opened fire at a man pointing an AK-style rifle into the club where Trump was golfing, said three law enforcement officers. The individual dropped the weapon and fled in an SUV — later taken into custody in a nearby county. Officials weren’t authorized to discuss the continuing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity to the Associated Press.
The AK-style firearm was located and recovered at the scene near Trump International Golf West Palm Beach stated two officials. No injuries were reported.
The incident was only the most recent jarring moment in a campaign year stained by unparalleled upheaval. It happened around two months after Trump was shot during an attempted assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally, and a bullet grazed his ear. Only one week later, President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.
Trump, in an email to supporters, 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!”
“Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!” said the former president.
As Trump golfed, the golf course was partially shut down, and agents were situated a few holes ahead of him when they spotted the individual with the firearm, said the officials. There are several areas around the property’s perimeter where golfers are visible from the fence line. Officers and Secret Service agents on ATVs and in golf carts generally secure the area several holes behind and ahead of Trump when he golfs. Usually, agents bring an armored vehicle onto the course to rapidly shelter Trump should a threat arise.
The former president returned from a West Coast swing this weekend, including a Friday evening rally in Las Vegas and a fundraiser in Utah. His campaign hadn’t advised Trump’s Sunday plan. Often, he spends the morning playing golf before lunching at the club, one of three he owns in Florida.
The Secret Service said it was continuing to investigate and that the incident happened shortly before 2 p.m. According to the Secret Service, “The former president is safe.”
“The FBI has responded to West Palm Beach, Florida, and is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump,” said a statement released two hours later.
“Officials believe the shots fired at Trump International Golf Club were intended for former President Donald Trump, according to sources familiar with the matter.”
Law enforcement temporarily shut down the nearby Southern Bridge, with Coast Guard boats moving closer to the residence from adjacent waterways.
Donald Trump Jr. posted on X that “An AK-47 was discovered in the bushes, per local law enforcement. …A suspect has reportedly been apprehended.”
Fox News Channel anchor Sean Hannity said he had spoken to the former president several times since the incident and said Trump told him an AK-47 was found. Hannity said the former president was on the golf course, near the fifth hole, when the shooting took place and was immediately taken into the clubhouse.
“Witnesses were able to provide a description of an individual and a vehicle. We are told that a vehicle that is close to that description has been stopped,” said Miller.
The former president has continued to have a ramped-up security footprint since the July assassination attempt. When he was at New York’s Trump Tower, a lineup of dump trucks was parked on a wall outside the building. He now gives his addresses at outdoor rallies from behind bulletproof glass enclosure.
After the incident, Trump was returned safely to his private Mar-a-Lago Club, where he lives in neighboring Palm Beach, according to an individual familiar with the matter.
The White House said Democratic presidential nominees Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden had both been briefed and would be kept updated on the investigation. The White House added that they were “relieved” to know the former president is safe.
In a statement, Harris said she was “glad” Trump was safe and added that “violence has no place in America.”
In a post on X, GOP Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of Trump’s top congressional allies, said he spoke to Trump following the incident and that the former president was “one of the strongest people I’ve ever known.”
Sheriff: Suspect was taken into custody within minutes
Sheriff William D. Snyder of Martin County said the suspect was taken into custody within minutes of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, and Secret Service releasing a “very urgent BOLO” — or “be on the lookout alert” detailing the specific vehicle being sought, occupant description and license plate number.
Snyder stated his deputies “immediately flooded” northbound I-95, deploying to all exits between the St. Lucie County line to the north and the Palm Beach County line to the south.
“One of my road patrol units saw the vehicle, matched the tag, and we set up on the vehicle,” said Snyder. “We pinched in on the car, got it safely stopped, and got the driver in custody.”
Snyder said the suspect “was not armed when we took him out of the car.”
Sheriff Snyder said the man had a flat, calm demeanor and showed little emotion when he was stopped by police. Snyder said the suspect didn’t question why he was being pulled over.
“He never asked, ‘What is this about?’ Obviously, law enforcement with the long rifles, blue lights, a lot going on. He never questioned it,” said Snyder.
A Justice Department spokeswoman said Attorney General Merrick Garland has also been briefed on the situation and regularly receives updates about it.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office post indicated the suspect was arrested near Palm City, Florida, about a 45-minute drive north of Trump’s golf course. The sheriff’s office said I-95’s northbound lanes were shut down.
Palm Beach resident Max Egusquiza described the emergency response outside Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course.
“From what I saw, five black unmarked SUVs blocked in a grey Mercedes in front of the golf course. There were about 20 or more cop cars flying from nearby streets,” he said.
Trump is expected to speak about cryptocurrency live on X Monday night for the launch of his son’s crypto platform. He is expected to speak from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The former president is set to return to the campaign trail Tuesday for a Flint, Michigan, town hall with his former press secretary, Governor of Arkansas Sarah Huckabee Sanders, after a campaign rally in Long Island, New York, Wednesday.
Looking toward the end of the week, Trump is scheduled to address and attend the Israeli-American Council National Summit in Washington, D.C., and hold a rally Saturday in Wilmington, North Carolina.
