Arrest Made Following Attempted Assassination at Trump’s Florida Golf Course

An individual has been taken into custody following an incident regarded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as the second “attempted assassination” of former President Donald Trump at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. Law enforcement officials disclosed that an AR-style rifle was discovered at the scene.

A spokesperson for Donald Trump’s campaign, Steven Cheung, confirmed that the former president, who is the Republican presidential nominee, was unharmed. During a press conference, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw stated that Secret Service agents identified the suspect, equipped with a rifle and scope, concealed within the bushes near the golf course. Additionally, two backpacks and a GoPro camera were found near the fence adjacent to the rifle.

A Secret Service representative indicated that it remains uncertain if the suspect “was able to take a shot at our agents” before they returned fire. The suspect has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, aged 58, according to three senior law enforcement officials.

The Secret Service’s representative and Sheriff Bradshaw revealed that the suspect was positioned approximately 400 to 500 yards away from Trump during the incident, which transpired shortly before 2 p.m. Trump departed from the golf course in his motorcade a few hours after the occurrence and returned to his Mar-a-Lago residence.

Donald Trump was reportedly on the golf course, between the fifth and sixth holes when gunfire was heard in the vicinity. Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe is en route to Florida, succeeding Kimberly Cheatle, who stepped down after a prior assassination attempt on Trump in July.

Senator JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, assured that the former president was “in good spirits.” Vance expressed gratitude in a post, acknowledging the uncertainty of the situation but thankful for Trump’s safety.

The incident will not alter Trump’s campaign activities for the week, as per a source. This event follows an earlier attempt on Trump’s life during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where gunfire injured Trump and supporters, and the assailant was subsequently neutralized by the Secret Service.

A statement from the White House affirmed that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were informed about the security incident at the Trump International Golf Course. Vice President Harris expressed relief over Trump’s safety and denounced violence in America through a post on X.

This incident arises just 51 days ahead of Election Day, with tight polling results between Trump and Harris. The news story is still developing, and further updates are anticipated.