NEW YORK: Former US President Donald Trump is safe after what the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said was a potential assassination attempt in south Florida on Sunday, just two months after a gunman tried to kill the Republican presidential candidate at a rally in Pennsylvania.
The suspected attack on Trump’s life comes little more than seven weeks before he faces Vice-President Kamala Harris in a tense and closely fought presidential election.
Trump, who was at the golf club near his Mar-a-Lago resort on Sunday, said in a tweet, FEAR NOT! I am safe and well, and no one was hurt. Thank God!
Federal officials at a Sunday press conference said a Secret Service agent opened fire on a man with a gun near Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The agent did so after spotting the man pushing his rifle’s muzzle through the perimeter of the golf course, officials said.
He was able to spot his rifle barrel sticking out of the fence and immediately engage that individual at which time the individual took off, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said during the press conference.
Later, law enforcement authorities identified the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, according to media reports.
A senior police official described the suspect as having a calm demeanor after being apprehended by law enforcement.
In his remarks, Bradshaw also said, The Secret Service agent that was on the course did a fantastic job.
He said the Secret Service has a process of having an agent jump one hole ahead when the former president is playing golf to offer him protection.
FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Veltri, who is in charge of the FBI Miami field office, said the FBI is taking the lead on the investigation. The agency has deployed investigative, evidence, and crisis response team members and bomb technicians to aid in the investigation, he said.
State prosecutors were working to secure a warrant and a motion for a pretrial detention for the potential suspect in custody, Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said during the briefing.
Aronberg noted the filing of state warrants and charges does not preclude federal charges that could be coming.
Republican vice presidential nominee Senator JD Vance said on the social platform X he spoke with Trump shortly after the incident.
I’m glad President Trump is safe. I spoke to him before the news was public and he was, amazingly, in good spirits, Vance wrote. Still much we don’t know, but I’ll be hugging my kids extra tight tonight and saying a prayer of gratitude.
Both President Biden and Vice President Harris were briefed Sunday about the attempt on Trump’s life, according to a White House pool report.
They are relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team, the pool report stated.
Ms. Harris, in a post on X, said she is glad Trump is safe, writing, Violence has no place in America.
