Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump is safe after a failed assassination attempt at his Florida golf course, and a “potential suspect” is in custody, US authorities have confirmed.
Secret Service agents spotted the barrel of a rifle protruding from the bushes and opened fire on him, officials said. The FBI said Trump was 300 to 500 yards (275 to 455 meters) away at the time.
An AK47 rifle and scope were later found at the scene, along with two backpacks and a GoPro camera.
A witness said he saw the suspect run out of the bushes and jump into a black Nissan after agents shot him multiple times.
The witness took a photo of the vehicle and the license plate and the vehicle was later stopped in Martin County, north of the club.
In an email to supporters, Trump said he was “safe and healthy.”
“Nothing can slow me down,” he wrote. “I will never give up!”
The incident comes almost exactly two months after a gunman attempted to assassinate Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania by shooting him in the ear.
The Secret Service confirmed in a post on X that it is investigating a “protective incident” involving Trump that occurred just before 2pm EST (7pm BST) on Sunday.
At a press conference afterward, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said “the Secret Service agents on the field did a fantastic job.”
“What they did was send an agent to jump through a hole in front of where the president was and he was able to spot the rifle barrel sticking out of the fence and immediately attack that individual, at which point that individual ran away,” he added.
The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had been briefed on the incident, which they said occurred at Trump International Golf Course, “where former President Trump was playing golf.”
“They are relieved to know that he is safe. Their team will provide regular updates,” the White House said.
United States Environmental Protection AgencyHarris posted on X that she had been briefed on the matter and was glad Trump was not injured. “Violence has no place in America,” she wrote.
Trump was injured while speaking to a crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 when a gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, shot him with an AR-15-style rifle from the roof of a nearby building.
The shooting left one spectator dead, while Crooks, 20, was shot dead at the scene by a Secret Service sniper.
The Secret Service is facing intense scrutiny over how the shooter in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was able to open fire on the former president.
The agency’s director, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned two weeks after the incident.
