Authorities have identified 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh as the suspect in an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, who was at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday.
According to US media reports, Routh, a resident of Hawaii with a background in construction and a history of attempting to recruit fighters for Ukraine, allegedly tried to harm Trump during his golf outing.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched an inquiry into the incident, describing it as an ‘attempted assassination’.
An FBI statement confirmed their response to the scene and their ongoing investigation into the event.
During the investigation, law enforcement recovered an AK-47 style rifle, two backpacks filled with ceramic tiles, and a GoPro camera that the suspect had left behind.
This incident marks the second assassination attempt on Trump in just over two months.
The first attack occurred on 13 July in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a lone gunman struck Trump in the ear before a sniper killed the attacker.
The Sunday altercation occurred around 1:30 PM at the golf course.
A US Secret Service agent, tasked with securing the area ahead of Trump, discovered a firearm protruding from dense foliage near the course’s periphery.
The suspect was located approximately 350 to 500 yards away from the incident site, between the fifth and sixth holes.
The precise details of whether the suspect fired any shots remain unclear, though investigators have reported a witness capturing the suspect’s vehicle and license plate, leading to Routh’s swift arrest.
In a statement, Trump assured the public of his safety, stating, “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumours start spiralling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” He further declared, “Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!”
The White House received information about the security breach, and President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, who are in Washington DC, are getting updates on the situation.
Both expressed relief that Trump escaped harm.
Harris commented on social media, “I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”
The shooting took place near Trump’s Palm Beach golf course, with reports indicating that US Secret Service personnel returned fire towards the source of the gunshots.
Also Read: Former President Trump Declares Safety After Gunfire Near Florida Golf Course
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