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What we know so far about the assassination attempt on Trump

Getty Images A sheriff closes the road outside the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15, 2024 following a shooting at former US President Donald Trump's golf course.Getty Images

Donald Trump was airlifted to safety on Sunday after what the FBI described as an apparent assassination attempt on a Florida golf course.

This incident happened two months after another assassination attempt began in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was shot in the ear during a campaign rally.

Details are still emerging from the latest incident. Here’s what we know so far.

How did the assassination attempt play out?

The incident took place at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The gunman was spotted by Secret Service agents, who were ahead of Trump on a security inspection tour of the tunnels the former president was visiting.

Agents tend to go to one hole early when Trump is there, according to security officials.

County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the shooter was located in a bush at the edge of the golf course near holes five, six and seven.

Agents saw the barrel of a gun sticking out of a tree at around 13:30 local time (17:30 GMT).

He told a press conference that the gunman was “in a place in a tree where I could see both holes”.

Officials also said Trump was 300-500 yards (274-557m) from the shooter.

The thick tree lines on Congress Avenue – the street on the right in the photo below – would have covered the suspect, had he been hiding there.

Trump golf course map

How was the suspect caught, who?

The police opened fire when they saw the gunman firing four to five bullets. It is not known if the gunman fired.

The shooter fled in a car. He was later stopped and arrested on the I-95 freeway near the golf course.

An AK-47 rifle, a GoPro camera and two backpacks were later found near the gunman’s hideout, officials said.

A “witness” who saw the gunman was able to take pictures of his car and the license plate number, according to the officer.

A person described as a “possible suspect” has been taken into custody.

Several officials told the BBC’s US partner, CBS News, that the suspect’s name is Ryan Wesley Routh.

Getty Images Palm Beach County Sheriff PIO Teri Barber holds photos of a gun and other items found near where a suspect was found during a press conference about the apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on September 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. .Getty Images

Officials released photos of the suspect’s clothing during a press conference

What happened to Trump?

Trump was not injured during the incident. His campaign team initially said “there was gunfire near him”.

Shortly after the incident was confirmed by his campaign team, Trump released a statement on his fundraising page, which read: “There were shots fired in my neighborhood, but before the rumors get out of hand, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM. SAFE AND WELL”.

A recent campaign email quoted Trump as saying “his decision is stronger after another attempt on my life”.

What happens next?

At the same time as the news conference, Jeffrey Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office said that the office is leading the investigation along with other law enforcement agencies.

“We used a lot of resources, including investigative teams, members of the disaster response team, bomb experts and members of the evidence response team,” Veltri said, adding that “the full resources of the FBI” along with the US Secret Service, Palm Beach. The Sheriff’s Office and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office were merged.

The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, have been informed of the incident and are relieved to know she is safe.

“Violence has no place in America,” said Harris in a social media post.

Sheriff describes temporary suspect caught at Trump golf course


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