Donald Trump was the target of an apparent assassination attempt on Sunday in Florida, according to the FBI, though the Republican presidential candidate was reported safe and unharmed. The U.S. Secret Service confirmed that agents had “opened fire on a gunman” near the boundary of Trump’s golf course. Authorities recovered an “AK-47 style rifle” with a scope, along with a GoPro video camera.
The suspect, who had been hiding in shrubbery, fled in a black car after the confrontation. A witness helped authorities track down the vehicle, leading to the arrest of a potential suspect, said Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. Trump was golfing at his West Palm Beach course, close to his Mar-a-Lago residence, when the suspect was spotted in bushes ahead of him, Bradshaw explained.
Trump’s campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, confirmed the former president’s safety, and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris expressed relief that Trump was unharmed. Trump later reassured supporters, stating, “Fear not! I am safe and well, and no one was hurt. Thank God!”
Authorities have not confirmed if the gunman fired at Trump, though Secret Service agents discharged their weapons. Rafael Barros of the Secret Service noted that it’s unclear whether the suspect managed to shoot at the agents. The FBI is now investigating the incident as a possible assassination attempt.
This marks the second attempt on Trump’s life in the last two months, following an earlier incident in July when he was wounded while addressing a rally in Pennsylvania.
Sheriff Bradshaw praised the Secret Service for quickly engaging the suspect, noting that the rifle’s barrel was spotted protruding from a fence. Despite the suspect being 300 to 500 yards away, Bradshaw emphasized that “with a rifle and a scope like that, that’s not a long distance.”
Donald Trump was the target of an apparent assassination attempt on Sunday in Florida, according to the FBI, though the Republican presidential candidate was reported safe and unharmed. The U.S. Secret Service confirmed that agents had “opened fire on a gunman” near the boundary of Trump’s golf course. Authorities recovered an “AK-47 style rifle” with a scope, along with a GoPro video camera.
The suspect, who had been hiding in shrubbery, fled in a black car after the confrontation. A witness helped authorities track down the vehicle, leading to the arrest of a potential suspect, said Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. Trump was golfing at his West Palm Beach course, close to his Mar-a-Lago residence, when the suspect was spotted in bushes ahead of him, Bradshaw explained.
Trump’s campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, confirmed the former president’s safety, and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris expressed relief that Trump was unharmed. Trump later reassured supporters, stating, “Fear not! I am safe and well, and no one was hurt. Thank God!”
Authorities have not confirmed if the gunman fired at Trump, though Secret Service agents discharged their weapons. Rafael Barros of the Secret Service noted that it’s unclear whether the suspect managed to shoot at the agents. The FBI is now investigating the incident as a possible assassination attempt.
This marks the second attempt on Trump’s life in the last two months, following an earlier incident in July when he was wounded while addressing a rally in Pennsylvania.
Sheriff Bradshaw praised the Secret Service for quickly engaging the suspect, noting that the rifle’s barrel was spotted protruding from a fence. Despite the suspect being 300 to 500 yards away, Bradshaw emphasized that “with a rifle and a scope like that, that’s not a long distance.”
