Key Points
- Shots were fired near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
- US Secret Service said the former president is safe.
- Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been briefed about the incident.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was safe after what the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said appeared to be a second assassination attempt while he was golfing on his course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Law enforcement officials said United States Secret Service agents spotted and fired on a gunman in some bushes near the property line who dropped an AK-47-style assault rifle and was arrested after fleeing the scene.
Trump is safe following the incident, his campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement, while Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris expressed relief her political rival was out of danger.
Who is the suspect?
The New York Times and Fox News identified the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, citing unnamed law enforcement officials.
The FBI declined to comment on the suspect’s identity, and other law enforcement agencies involved did not respond to requests for comment.
“We have somebody in custody right now that is a potential suspect,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told a press conference.
He did not identify the suspect or give details on a possible motive.
How the incident unfolded
Bradshaw said Secret Service agents were checking the course for any potential threats about 1.30pm local time when they saw the rifle barrel about 450m away from Trump.
The agents fired at least four rounds of ammunition.
The gunman then dropped his rifle, two backpacks and other items and fled in a black Nissan car. A witness saw the gunman and managed to take photos of his car and licence plate, the sheriff said.
“The Secret Service did exactly what should have been done,” Bradshaw said.
After the suspect fled the scene, law enforcement officials said they sent out an alert to statewide agencies with the information on his vehicle, which led to sheriff’s deputies in neighbouring Martin County apprehending the suspect on Interstate 95 highway.
Authorities did not confirm whether the gunman actually fired a weapon in the direction of the former president but said shots were fired by the Secret Service.
“We are not sure right now if the individual was able to take a shot at our agents,” Rafael Barros of the Secret Service said.
The FBI said it is “investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former president Trump”.
Reactions from Donald Trump and Kamala Harris
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 seen by Reuters news agency.
Trump was injured in , just months ahead of what looks likely to be a highly contested 5 November election in which he will be pitted against 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 Trump was safe.
In a statement on X, Biden said he had directed his team to ensure the Secret Service “has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure [Trump’s] continued safety”.
Harris said she “condemns” political violence and stressed that “we all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence”.
Trump’s running mate in the presidential election, , said he spoke to Trump after the shooting and that the former president was in good spirits.
Anthony Albanese and other Australian politicians respond
Australian politicians including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have reacted to news of the incident.
Albanese told reporters in Canberra that while all the details of the apparent assassination attempt were not yet clear, “what is clear is that President Trump is safe — that is a good thing”.
“Everyone wants the democratic process to be peaceful and to be orderly. This incident in the United States is of concern, again,” he said.
Anthony Albanese said “everyone wants the democratic process to be peaceful and orderly”. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
Foreign Minister Penny Wong told ABC radio that “political violence has no place in any society”, while Housing Minister Clare O’Neil said stability and democracy were “precious” and needed to be valued.
“It’s a little bit fragile at times and we need to support it and protect it,” she said.
Liberal senator Hollie Hughes accused the Democratic Party of sharing “reckless rhetoric” throughout the election campaign that framed Trump as a threat to democracy.
“There’s a lot of tension over there at the moment and that (rhetoric) has got to be, in some way, attempted to be taken out of it,” she told Sky News.
Incident comes two months after previous assassination attempt
The 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 rally-goer was killed in the gunfire.
The gunman, , was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper.
