Police confirmed Sunday that a man was arrested near where former US President Donald Trump was playing golf and that an AK-47 rifle with a telescopic sight was found, which he allegedly intended to use to attack the Republican candidate.
According to a press conference, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the man, who was also carrying two backpacks and a GoPro sports camera, was arrested after the Secret Service spotted him and a witness took photos of his license plate.
At around 1:30 p.m. (17:30 GMT), Secret Service agents spotted a man with a rifle standing near the fence of Trump’s golf course, where the former president (2017-2021) and Republican candidate was playing. He was about 300-500 meters from Trump.
The Secret Service shot him and he ran from the bushes where he was hiding to the vehicle he tried to get away in, a black pickup truck whose license plate a witness managed to photograph. Thanks to this, the individual, whose identity has not yet been made public, was arrested a few minutes later on the road.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed on Sunday that the incident is being investigated as an apparent “attempted murder.”
“The FBI has responded to West Palm Beach, Florida, and is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump,” he said.
Law enforcement officials said at the news conference that the golf course is surrounded by bushes and that when someone hides in them, they are virtually “out of sight.” They said security is limited to the area the Secret Service deems feasible and that the organization “did what it had to do.”
Trump said in a press release that he was fine: “There were shots fired near me, but before the rumors start to get out of hand, I want you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” he said.
The Republican presidential candidate added: “Nothing will stop me. I WILL NEVER GIVE UP!”
Following the incident, the New York tycoon was immediately taken into custody and is now back at his Mar-a-Lago mansion, which is next to the golf course.
Trump was the victim of an assassination attempt on July 13 during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, after a 20-year-old man shot him with a rifle, wounding him in the right ear.
The Secret Service shot and killed the attacker, who fired from a high position outside the compound, where one member of the audience died from a gunshot wound.
The incident led to numerous resignations over security failures at the event, including that of the then director of the US Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle.
Cheatle eventually resigned ten days later over security lapses at the meeting, saying the assassination attempt was the agency’s “biggest operational failure” in decades.
Following this, the Secret Service approved a plan to increase Trump’s security, which includes the use of bulletproof glass screens at his outdoor events.
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