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What we know so far about the Trump assassination attempt


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

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

The incident comes just two months after another assassination attempt 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 take place?

The incident occurred at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The shooter was spotted by Secret Service agents as they walked ahead of Trump on a security check at the pits the former president was heading toward.

According to security officials, agents often go a hole in the ground to where Trump is staying.

The shooter hid in bushes at the edge of the golf course near the fifth, sixth and seventh holes, said county Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.

Agents spotted a rifle barrel protruding from the bushes at around 13:30 local time (17:30 GMT).

The gunman was “in an area in the bush where he could see both holes,” he told a news conference.

Officials also said Trump was standing about 300-500 yards (274-557m) away from the gunman.

The dense brush along Congress Avenue — the street on the right in the image below — could provide cover for the suspect, if he were hiding there.

Trump golf course map

How was the suspect arrested and who is he?

Agents opened fire upon spotting the gunman, firing four to five rounds. It was unclear whether the gunman returned fire.

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

Officials said they later found an AK-47-style rifle, a GoPro camera and two backpacks near where the gunman was hiding.

According to the police chief, a “witness” who saw the gunman took a photo of his car and license plate.

An individual described as a “potential suspect” is currently in custody.

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

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

Officials released images of the suspect’s belongings at a press conference.

What happened to Trump?

Trump was not injured in the incident. His campaign initially said there were “shots fired near him.”

Shortly after the incident was confirmed by his campaign, Trump issued a statement on his fundraising list that read: “There were gunshots fired near where I live, but before the rumors get out of hand, I want you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND HEALTHY.”

A later campaign email quoted Trump as saying that “his resolve has only grown stronger after another assassination attempt.”

What happens next?

At the same press conference, Jeffrey Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office said the agency is leading the investigation along with other law enforcement agencies.

“We have deployed a number of resources, including investigative teams, crisis response team members, bomb disposal experts and evidence response team members,” Veltri said, adding that “the full resources of the FBI” along with the U.S. Secret Service, the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office were mobilized.

The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, had been briefed on the incident and were relieved to learn he was safe.

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

Sheriff describes moment suspect was arrested at Trump golf course

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