The FBI said it is investigating the latest assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday afternoon.
“The FBI has responded to West Palm Beach, Florida, and is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump,” the bureau said in a statement.
Trump is “safe” after shots were reportedly “fired in his vicinity” while he was at Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach earlier in the afternoon, his campaign said in a statement.
A “person of interest” was detained following the incident, and “the intent right now is unknown,” Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Teri Barbera confirmed.
The suspect was later identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, according to law-enforcement officials briefed on the matter.
A Secret Service agent was one hole ahead of Trump while he was golfing and spotted the barrel of a rifle sticking out of the bushes, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of Palm Beach County said. The officer “immediately engaged” with the would-be assassin, who fled before being taken into custody.
“An AK-47 style rifle with a scope,” two backpacks filled with ceramic tiles, and “a GoPro which he was going to use to take pictures” were found near where the suspected gunman was located, Bradshaw said. The gunman was stationed around 400 to 500 yards away from the former president before he was detained.
A Secret Service spokesman said the agency is investigating the “protective incident” alongside the local sheriff’s office. The shooting occurred shortly before 2 p.m. Sunday.
Trump released a statement through his campaign soon after the incident, assuring his supporters that he is “safe and well.”
“Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me,” Trump said, ending his message with a call for “unity” and “peace.”
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris “have been briefed about the security incident at the Trump International Golf Course, where former President Trump was golfing,” the White House said in a statement. “They are relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team.”
Both Harris and her running mate, Minnesota governor Tim Walz, condemned the political violence in statements on social media. “Violence has no place” in the U.S., the Democratic candidates said.
The incident comes a little over two months after the GOP presidential nominee survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pa. On July 13, 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks fired several shots into the crowd from a nearby rooftop, grazing Trump’s right ear. One person died that day, and two more were wounded. The FBI has yet to determine the deceased shooter’s motive.
A spokesman for the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment about additional details surrounding the latest shooting.
This is a developing story, and this post has been updated.