Washington — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was safe after what the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said appeared to be an assassination attempt on Sunday outside Trump’s golf estate in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Law enforcement officials said during an afternoon press conference that the gunman was in some bushes near the property line of the golf course when Secret Service agents, who were clearing holes ahead of Trump, spotted a rifle barrel in the bushes.
Agents engaged the gunman and several rounds were fired around 5.30pm GMT. The gunman then dropped his rifle, two backpacks and other items and fled in a black Nissan car. A witness, the sheriff said, saw the gunman and managed to take pictures of his car and licence plate.
Authorities then sent out an alert to statewide agencies with the information on the vehicle, which led to sheriff’s deputies in neighbouring Martin County stopping and apprehending the suspect on I-95.
“We have somebody in custody right now,” said Palm Beach County sheriff Ric Bradshaw.
Trump’s campaign had earlier said he was safe following gunshots in his vicinity.
Trump sent an email to his fundraising list saying 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!” according to an email.
Trump was injured in an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania on July 13, raising questions about protection for candidates just months ahead of what looks likely to be a highly contested November 5 election in which he will face off against Democratic vice-president Kamala Harris.
The White House said in a statement that President Joe Biden and Harris had been briefed about the incident and were relieved to know that he is safe.
“Violence has no place in America,” Harris said in an X social media post.
The Washington Post said Trump had been golfing at the course when the incident occurred. Secret Service agents took him to a holding room at the club, it said, citing two people briefed on what had happened.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The first shooting of a US president or major party presidential candidate in more than four decades was a glaring security lapse that forced Kimberly Cheatle to resign as Secret Service director under bipartisan congressional pressure.
Trump was grazed in the right ear and one rallygoer was killed in the gunfire. The gunman, identified as Thomas Crooks, was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper.
The US Secret Service’s new acting director said in August that he was “ashamed” of a security lapse that led to the assassination attempt.
Reuters
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