Donald Trump was the subject of a second apparent assassination attempt at one of his golf courses in Florida on Sunday, the FBI has said.
The former president is safe and unharmed and the bureau says it is investigating the latest security episode involving the Republican presidential nominee, just nine weeks after he survived a previous attempt on his life when he was shot in the ear by a sniper at a rally in Pennsylvania.
A man was spotted aiming an AK-47-type rifle at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf resort while concealed in shrubbery about 400 to 500 yards away from the politician when he was spotted by Secret Service agents who opened fire as he fled the scene.
He was later stopped in a Nissan SUV by police and taken into custody in a neighboring county, according to local sheriff Ric Bradshaw.
The suspect has since been named as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, who is believed to have criticised Trump on social media and expressed his willingness to “fight and die” in Ukraine, a cause in which he appears to have been intensely invested.
Investigators have since found two backpacks and a GoPro camera at the scene.
Key Points
- Everything we know so far about the shooting at Donald Trump’s golf club
- Suspect named as pro-Ukraine activist Ryan Welsey Routh, 58, who criticised Trump on social media
- Routh’s X posts reveal his politics before suspected Trump assassination attempt
- ‘It was certainly an interesting day!’ Trump breaks silence
Trump to unveil crypto project amid scams and fears of ‘huge embarrassment’
13:20
Joe Sommerlad
The former president and his sons Donald Jr and Eric were due to be unveiling their new cryptocurrency project “World Liberty Financial” at his Florida golf course later today and, so far, we have not heard about any change to their plans.
Here’s Anthony Cuthbertson on Trump’s latest dubious business venture.
Watch live view of Trump’s golf course in Florida after second assassination attempt on former president
12:50
Joe Sommerlad
Recap: What we know about Trump shooting suspect caught with an AK-47 and a GoPro
12:45
Joe Sommerlad
Here’s our updated profile of Ryan Wesley Routh by Tom Watling, Justin Rohrlich, Gustaf Kilander and Rhian Lubin as more details continue to emerge about his background.
Recap: Second apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump foiled by Secret Service at Florida golf club
12:25
Joe Sommerlad
If you’re just joining us, Donald Trump was the subject of another apparent assassination attempt at one of his golf courses in Florida on Sunday, the FBI has said.
The former president is safe and unharmed and the bureau says it is investigating the latest security episode involving the Republican presidential nominee, just nine weeks after he survived a previous attempt on his life when he was shot in the ear by a sniper at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
A man was spotted aiming an AK-47-type rifle at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course while concealed in shrubbery about 400 to 500 yards away from the politician yesterday when he was spotted by Secret Service agents who opened fire as he fled the scene.
He was later stopped in a Nissan SUV by police and taken into custody in a neighboring county, according to local sheriff Ric Bradshaw.
The suspect has since been named as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, with the alleged gunman believed to have criticised Trump on social media and expressed his willingness to “fight and die” in Ukraine, a cause in which he appears to have been intensely invested.
Authorities have since found two backpacks hanging on a fence and a GoPro camera at the scene.
Here’s John Bowden’s report.
World leaders react to latest attempt on Trump’s life
12:05
Joe Sommerlad
We’ve already heard from Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Sir Keir Starmer on yesterday’s alarming incident at the Republican’s Florida golf course.
Here is some further reaction from other heads of state around the world:
- Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is glad Trump is “safe and unharmed” and states that violence has “no place” in politics.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is “relieved” Trump is safe while cautioning “we should not rely on luck”.
- Hungary’s PM Viktor Orban, a close friend of Trump, has said: “We are praying for you, Mr President!”
- Italy’s deputy PM Matteo Salvini, also a Trump supporter, said: “Trials, violent [individuals], fanatics and communists won’t stop us. [We go] forward with our head held high.”
- Australia’s PM Anthony Albanese has meanwhile expressed “concern” and said it is “a good thing” Trump is safe, adding: “Everyone wants the democratic process to be peaceful and to be orderly.”
Trump campaign recently briefed on threat from Iran
11:45
Joe Sommerlad
The Trump campaign was recently briefed on new intelligence that Iran is planning to escalate its attacks on the Republican presidential candidate and those in his orbit, according to CNN.
There’s nothing to suggest that this recent apparent attempt on Trump’s life has any connection to Iran, however.
The recent briefing was regarding possible physical as well as cybersecurity attacks.
It was reported earlier that intelligence officials had found indications that Iran was plotting to assassinate in the weeks leading up to the initial assassination attempt on 13 July, but there are no apparent links between the gunman shot that day – Thomas Matthew Crooks – and the alleged Iranian plot.
The US government has also determined that Iran was behind a hacking operation against the Trump campaign, which also attempted to target the then-Biden-Harris campaign.
Trump campaign managers email staff: ‘Your safety is always our top priority'
11:35
Joe Sommerlad
In an email to staff obtained by CNN, Trump campaign managers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said: “This is not a matter that we take lightly. Your safety is always our top priority.
“We ask that you remain vigilant in your daily comings and goings. Be observant and maintain a constant level of situational awareness,” they added.
“We urge you to always follow directions from law enforcement, including USSS, local police and office armed security guards.”
Trump’s West Palm Beach campaign office went into lockdown following the shooting.
“President Trump and everyone accompanying him are safe thanks to the great work of the United States Secret Service,” the campaign managers said.
Routh’s X posts reveal his politics – before suspected Trump assassination attempt
11:25
Joe Sommerlad
The suspect arrested over the latest apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump used to be a supporter of the former president back in 2016 – but has become highly critical of him of late, his social media accounts reveal.
He also self-published a book, according to CNN, in which he referred to the Republican candidate as an “idiot,” a “buffoon” and a “fool”, writing of his one-time support for the businessman: “I am man enough to say that I misjudged and made a terrible mistake.”
Here’s the very latest from Rhian Lubin.
Rifle found near golf course may have been ‘misidentified'
11:15
Joe Sommerlad
A firearms expert has told The Washington Post that the weapon found near Trump’s golf course has been “misidentified.”
The director of Armament Research Services, NR Jenzen-Jones, told the newspaper: “The weapon in question has been misidentified as an AK-type rifle, probably due to the distinctively curved magazine and a visually similar gas system.”
Law enforcement said they found an “AK-47-style rifle” at a fence near the course.
But the photos viewed during the press conference on Sunday seem to show an SKS-type rifle in a polymer stock that has been fitted with an AK magazine for 7.62mm cartridges, the firearms expert said, according to The Post.
Biden says he’s ‘relieved that the former president is unharmed'
11:05
Joe Sommerlad
This is what President Joe Biden has had to say about the latest threat against his predecessor.
“I have been briefed by my team regarding what federal law enforcement is investigating as a possible assassination attempt of former President Trump today.
“A suspect is in custody, and I commend the work of the Secret Service and their law enforcement partners for their vigilance and their efforts to keep the former President and those around him safe. I am relieved that the former President is unharmed.
“There is an active investigation into this incident as law enforcement gathers more details about what happened.
“As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country, and I have directed my team to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety.”
Trump cracked jokes with allies after shots fired at his golf course, report says
10:55
Joe Sommerlad
Trump was playing golf on Sunday with friend Steve Witkoff and just a few of his staff present at the time of the shooting, according to The New York Times.
The former president has since joked about how he is frustrated his golf game was cut short.
Ex-White House physician and now Texas Republican Representative Ronny Jackson told the paper he spoke to Trump in the aftermath of the incident.
“I talked to him a little bit, checked on him. He told me he was always glad to hear from me but he was glad he didn’t need my services today,” Jackson told The NYT.
“I just told him he was glad he was okay and he said he can’t believe this happened.”
‘He was never part of the Legion,’ Ukrainian officer says of Trump shooting plot suspect
10:45
Joe Sommerlad
Oleksandr Shaguri, an officer in the Foreigners Coordination Department of the Land Forces Command in Ukraine, has told CNN this morning that Ryan Wesley Routh contacted Ukraine’s foreign legion on multiple occasions but was never part of its volunteer fighting forces.
“We can confirm this person reached out to us online multiple times,” Shaguri said, adding: “The best way to describe his messages is — delusional ideas.”
He continued: “[Routh] was offering us large numbers of recruits from different countries but it was obvious to us his offers were not realistic. We didn’t even answer, there was nothing to answer to. He was never part of the Legion and didn’t cooperate with us in any way.”
Routh expressed his support for Ukraine in numerous X posts in 2022, saying he was willing to die in the battle for its sovereignty and that “we need to burn the Kremlin to the ground”, also visiting the country that year and attempting to enlist Afghan conscripts online despite not being an official liaison to the Ukrainian government.
The BBC has meanwhile spoken to aid worker Chris Lutz, who says he encountered Routh in Kyiv: "I have met Ryan in person several times… Ryan was trying to get in contact with everyone speaking English. He was an omnipresent dude.”
Lutz described him as “a recruitment cheerleader” but added: “I wouldn’t call him crazy. He was just hyper-focused. He was trying his best to help Ukraine. But it was getting to an unhealthy level… He also had no rights or powers to recruit for Ukraine’s international legion. It was a complication.
“He asked me for advice on how to get Afghans into Ukraine. However, I had no experience of the Ukrainian legal system, so I declined the request. When he said he could bring over thousands of Afghan fighters, I started to get suspicious.”
‘Violence should have no place in any political campaign'
10:35
Joe Sommerlad
“It’s appalling to see political violence taking place. Violence should have no place in any political campaign,” Britain’s Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told Sky News this morning in response to yesterday’s events in Florida.
“We’re all glad that the former president is safe, and that this attempt, whatever it was that happened, was not successful.”
Meanwhile, here’s Kate Devlin on UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s comments.
‘It was certainly an interesting day!’ Trump breaks silence over second assassination attempt at golf club
10:25
Joe Sommerlad
Myriam Page and Justin Rohrlich have more on the Republican presidential nominee’s reaction to yesterday’s troubling events.
Suspect’s son: ‘It doesn’t sound like the man I know’
10:10
Joe Sommerlad
Ryan Routh’s son Oran had this to say to CNN earlier:
“Ryan is my father, and I don’t have any comment beyond a character profile of him as a loving and caring father, and honest, hardworking man.
“I don’t know what’s happened in Florida, and I hope things have just been blown out of proportion, because from the little I’ve heard, it doesn’t sound like the man I know to do anything crazy, much less violent. He’s a good father, and a great man, and I hope you can portray him in an honest light.”
Myriam Page has more.
Watch: Shooting suspect in alleged Trump assassination attempt discusses ‘good versus evil’ in resurfaced interview
09:50
Joe Sommerlad
Suspect said nothing as he was arrested, attorney reveals
09:30
Joe Sommerlad
Ryan Routh reportedly remained silent when he was picked up by law enforcement, according to a local state attorney.
“He knew enough to stay silent,” David Aronberg, State Attorney for Palm Beach County, Florida, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Sunday evening.
“He did not apparently speak to officers, he was calm. So, it looked like a person who has done this before, not necessarily this crime, but someone who has had repeated interactions with law enforcement.”
Aronberg did not name the suspect but said he had a “rap sheet” and described the apparent assassination attempt as “another too close for comfort incident.”
He also praised the Secret Service for quickly spotting the alleged shooter and firing at him.
“If you’re Secret Service, it really is an act of heroism to see a person with this dangerous weapon poking through the fence. And it was really a great job by Secret Service to fire the first shot,” he said.
Here’s Cooper’s conversation with presidential historian Tim Naftali on the same show to attempt to put all of this into a broader perspective.
Two assassination attempts against former President Trump in two months. Presidential historian Tim Naftali reacts. pic.twitter.com/Q6F51sQMNH
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) September 16, 2024
Trump thanks Secret Service and law enforcement for ‘incredible job'
09:10
Joe Sommerlad
This is the Republican presidential nominee’s most recent comment on Sunday’s events, posted on his Truth Social platform a little earlier.
I would like to thank everyone for your concern and well wishes - It was certainly an interesting day! Most importantly, I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and his Office of brave and dedicated Patriots, and, all of Law Enforcement, for the incredible… pic.twitter.com/mV15rJygOR
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) September 16, 2024
In pictures: Trump golf course suspect Ryan Wesley Routh
08:50
Joe Sommerlad
These are the first images we have of the 58-year-old man accused of plotting to assassinate Republican presidential nominee via at attack launched from his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, which was foiled on Sunday afternoon.
Routh owns a construction company in Hawaii and has reportedly previously been critical of Trump on social media, writing to Kamala Harris in one post that she should visit those shot at Trump’s Butler rally in hospital because “Trump will never do anything for them” and telling Joe Biden: “DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose” in November’s election.
Another message reportedly written by Routh is being interpreted as a renunciation of Trump after his apparently having voted for him in 2016: “While you were my choice in 2106 [sic], I and the world hoped that president Trump would be different and better than the candidate, but we all were greatly disappointment and it seems you are getting worse and devolving. I will be glad when you gone.”
Here’s Tom Watling, Justin Rohrlich and Gustaf Kilander on everything we know about him so far.
Trump sends second fundraising email after shooting
08:30
Gustaf Kilander
Trump sent a second fundraising email on Sunday night after the second attempt on his life within the last few months.
My resolve is only stronger after another attempt on my life!
I will never slow down.
I will never give up.
I WILL NEVER SURRENDER!
I thank God every day for having supporters like you on my side.
On November 5th, WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
Suspect voted for Trump in 2016, social media reveals
08:00
Alexander Butler
The 58-year-old suspect alleged to have fired an assault rifle in the vicinity of former US president Donald Trump voted for him in 2016.
Ryan Wesley Routh, from Hawaii, wrote on X that Mr Trump was his choice of candidate eight years ago but he was “greatly disappointed” by his term.
“While you were my choice in 2016, I and the world hoped that President Trump would be different and better than the candidate, but we all were greatly disappointed and it seems you are getting worse and devolving,” Routh wrote on X in July.
Everything we know so far about the shooting at Donald Trump’s golf club
08:00
Justin Rohrlich
A suspect is in custody following what the FBI says was a disrupted assassination attempt on Donald Trump at one of the former president’s Florida golf resorts on Sunday.
A Secret Service agent opened fire on the suspect after spotting a rifle barrel through the perimeter fence of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. The suspect fled but is now in custody and has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh.
Trump immediately began fundraising off the latest alleged assassination attempt with an email to supporters, reading, “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL! Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me.”
Ex-Secret Service agent warns of ‘copycat’ attacks
07:52
Alexander Butler
Trump is at risk from further “copycat” attacks after a second apparent assassination attempt, Robert McDonald, a former Secret Service agent, said.
Mr McDonald, who supervised security for Joe Biden when he was vice-president, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Copycat people are exactly who we are worried about.
They see now that over the last eight weeks that two people have got relatively close to the former president with high powered rifles and were able to potentially cause damage.
“The bigger concern now is, is somebody going to get a bit closer and do serious damage.”
Pictured: Suspect's home in Hawaii
07:45
Alexander Butler
Suspect named as 58-year-old pro-Ukrainian activist
07:35
Alexander Butler
The alleged gunman who fired an AK-47 assault rifle at former US president Donald Trump’s golf course has been named.
The suspect was identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, a pro-Ukrainian activist from Oahu, a small town in Hawaii.
Routh who had expressed on social media his willingness to “fight and die” for Kyiv, according to the New York Times.
“I am willing to fly to Krakow and go to the border of Ukraine to volunteer and fight and die,” Routh wrote on X following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“Each one of us must do our part daily in the smallest steps help support human rights, freedom and democracy,” he continued in a separate message on the WhatsApp messaging app.
FBI reveals how close Trump was to golf course shooting suspect
07:30
Lucy Leeson
The FBI revealed how close Donald Trump was to his Florida golf course shooting suspect.
A man with an AK-47-style weapon pushed the muzzle through the trees at the perimeter at Trump National Golf Club in West Palm Beach while the former president was playing a round of golf on Sunday (15 September), prompting the Secret Service to open fire.
The former president is safe and unharmed, and the FBI says it is investigating “what appears to be an attempted assassination” of the Republican presidential candidate.
When quizzed on how close Trump was to the suspected shooter, a FBI spokesman replied: “300 to 500 yards.”
Suspect complained about Ukraine’s unwillingness to accept foreign soldiers
07:00
Gustaf Kilander
Suspect Ryan Routh spoke to Semafor on March 7 last year, complaining that the Ukrainian government, which he had traveled around the world to find backing for, was restricting the access of some foreign soldiers without the proper credentials.
“Ukraine is very often hard to work with. Many foreign soldiers leave after a week in Ukraine or must move from unit to unit to find a place they are respected and appreciated,” he told the outlet at the time.
“They’re afraid that anybody and everybody is a Russian spy,” he added.
“I am in Washington DC now to try and get some leadership here to help push the Ukrainians to take these soldiers,” he told Semafor. “It all hinges on the US partners here encouraging Ukraine to use these men or us merely convincing them to use them.”
Suspect spoke of efforts to get Afghan soldiers to Ukraine
06:30
Gustaf Kilander
The suspect in Sunday’s shooting, Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, spoke to The New York Times last year for an article chronicling Americans volunteering to help Ukraine win its war against Russia.
Routh, who was detained on Sunday, said he went to Ukraine after the Russian invasion and that he aimed to get Afghan soldiers to fight in the war.
When Routh was in Washington last year, he told The Times over the phone about a diplomat who thought his efforts to help Ukraine would be successful. But when a US fighter appeared to talk down to him in a message shared with the paper, Routh said the fighter “needs to be shot.”
Routh told The Times that he was in Washington to meet with the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe to argue for more backing for Ukraine.
The suspect added at the time that he was looking for recruits for Ukraine among Afghan soldiers who had fled from the Taliban. He added that he was planning on moving some of them from Pakistan and Iran to Ukraine. He claimed that dozens had said that they were interested.
“We can probably purchase some passports through Pakistan since it’s such a corrupt country,” he told the paper.
Suspect expressed will to ‘fight and die’ in Ukraine
06:00
Gustaf Kilander
Ryan Wesley Routh, the detained suspect in Sunday’s shooting, has said that he would be willing to fight and die in the war in Ukraine.
“I AM WILLING TO FLY TO KRAKOW AND GO TO THE BORDER OF UKRAINE TO VOLUNTEER AND FIGHT AND DIE,” he wrote on X following the Russian invasion in early 2022, according to The New York Times.
On Signal, Routh wrote in his bio that “Civilians must change this war and prevent future wars.”
“Each one of us must do our part daily in the smallest steps help support human rights, freedom and democracy; we each must help the chinese,” his WhatsApp profile stated.
Secret Service working with federal, state, and local law enforcement, DHS secretary says
05:30
Gustaf Kilander
In a statement on Sunday night, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said: “I commend the Secret Service for its quick action to preempt this apparent assassination attempt and protect the former President. We condemn violence against public officials and candidates.”
“DHS and the Secret Service are closely working with federal, state and local law enforcement partners to learn all of the facts surrounding this incident,” he added. “The safety and security of Presidential candidates and other protectees is the highest priority for the Secret Service.”
DeSantis says state of Florida will conduct ‘its own investigation’
05:00
Gustaf Kilander
Governor Ron DeSantis said on Sunday night that “The State of Florida will be conducting its own investigation regarding the attempted assassination at Trump International Golf Club.”
He added: “The people deserve the truth about the would-be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee.”
Rifle found near golf course may have been ‘misidentified'
04:40
Gustaf Kilander
A firearms expert has told The Washington Post that the weapon found near Trump’s golf course has been “misidentified.”
The director of Armament Research Services, N.R. Jenzen-Jones, told the paper that “The weapon in question has been misidentified as an AK-type rifle, probably due to the distinctively curved magazine and a visually similar gas system.”
Law enforcement said they found an “AK-47-style rifle” at a fence near the course. But the photos viewed during the press conference on Sunday seem to show an SKS-type rifle in a polymer stock that has been fitted with an AK magazine for 7.62mm cartridges, the firearms expert said, according to The Post.
Acting Secret Service director headed to Florida after golf course shooting
04:20
Gustaf Kilander
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe is headed to Florida, according to Secret Service officials, after the incident at Trump's golf course that the FBI says "appears to be" a second Trump assassination attempt. pic.twitter.com/h7Y8oczzeA
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 15, 2024
‘These people are awesome’: Trump praises the Secret Service
04:00
Gustaf Kilander
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham told The New York Times that he had spoken to Trump on Sunday.
“He said, ‘They took me off the course because there were shots fired,’” Graham told the paper, quoting the former president.
Graham said Trump noted that he had “500 cops” around him and that he was okay.
“‘These people are awesome,’” Trump said of the Secret Service, according to Graham.
Trump campaign managers email staff: ‘Your safety is always our top priority'
03:40
Gustaf Kilander
In an email to campaign staff obtained by CNN, Trump campaign managers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said, “This is not a matter that we take lightly. Your safety is always our top priority.”
“We ask that you remain vigilant in your daily comings and goings. Be observant and maintain a constant level of situational awareness,” they added. “We urge you to always follow directions from law enforcement, including USSS, local police, and office armed security guards.”
Trump’s West Palm Beach campaign office went into lockdown following the shooting.
“President Trump and everyone accompanying him are safe thanks to the great work of the United States Secret Service,” the campaign managers said.
Trump updates fundraising website after shots fired at his Florida golf course
03:20
Gustaf Kilander
Donald Trump updated his fundraising website on Sunday night after shots were fired at his Florida golf course.
I am safe and well, and no one was hurt. Thank God!
But, there are people in this world who will do whatever it takes to stop us.
I will not stop fighting for you.
I will Never Surrender!
I will always love you for supporting me.
Through our UNITY we will Make America Great Again!
McConnell says he’s ‘very grateful’ Trump is safe
03:00
Gustaf Kilander
Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, issued a statement on Sunday night, saying that he’s “Very grateful President Trump is safe after another attempted assassination attempt.”
He added: “There is no place for political violence in our country, and those responsible for it must be held to account. I hope and expect USSS and the FBI will conduct a thorough, swift, and transparent investigation.”
Trump campaign recently briefed on threat from Iran
02:40
Gustaf Kilander
The Trump campaign was recently briefed on new signs that Iran was planning to escalate its attacks on the Republican candidate and those in his orbit, according to CNN.
There’s nothing to suggest that this recent apparent attempt on Trump’s life has any connection to Iran. The recent briefing was regarding possible physical as well as cybersecurity attacks.
It was reported earlier that intelligence officials had found indications that Iran was plotting to assassinate in the weeks leading up to the initial assassination attempt on 13 July, but there are no apparent links between the gunman shot that day – Thomas Matthew Crooks – and the alleged Iranian plot.
The US government has also determined that Iran was behind a hacking operation against the Trump campaign, which also attempted to target the then-Biden-Harris campaign.
House Speaker praises Trump for being ‘strong and resilient'
02:20
Gustaf Kilander
Speaker Mike Johnson left Mar-a-Lago on Sunday after spending a few hours with Trump, writing on X that the former president remains “strong and resilient.”
Kelly and I are departing Mar-a-Lago, where we just spent a few hours with President Trump and are thanking God for protecting him today—once again. No leader in American history has endured more attacks and remained so strong and resilient. He is unstoppable. pic.twitter.com/43Rm8SPGU8
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) September 15, 2024
Armed with AK-47, filming with GoPro, fleeing in Nissan: What we know about Trump shooting suspect Ryan Routh
02:00
Tom Watling
A suspected gunman is now in custody after Secret Service agents foiled what appears to be a second assassination attempt on Donald Trump in the space of just two months.
Ryan Wesley Routh was identified by three law enforcement officials who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to speak openly about the incident.
He was allegedly armed with a powerful AK-47 assault rifle and aimed it through the bushes at Trump National Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, when the former president was playing a round of golf on Sunday.
Biden says he’s ‘relieved that the former President is unharmed'
01:47
Gustaf Kilander
I have been briefed by my team regarding what federal law enforcement is investigating as a possible assassination attempt of former President Trump today.
A suspect is in custody, and I commend the work of the Secret Service and their law enforcement partners for their vigilance and their efforts to keep the former President and those around him safe. I am relieved that the former President is unharmed.
There is an active investigation into this incident as law enforcement gathers more details about what happened.
As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country, and I have directed my team to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety.
Secret Service agent fired on suspect at Trump golf course attempting to assassinate former president
01:40
John Bowden
A second assassination attempt on the life of Donald Trump was narrowly averted on Sunday after a Secret Service agent fired on an armed suspect at the former president’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The Secret Service agent spotted a man pushing the barrel of an AK-47 rifle through the plant-lined fence surrounding the property, 300-500 yards from where Trump was playing golf.
The agent fired at the man, who fled. The suspect, identified by Associated Press as Ryan Wesley Routh, was later detained and is now in custody.
“There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors still spiralling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” wrote Trump in a statement sent out Sunday afternoon.
Suspect’s criminal history includes hit and run and resisting an officer
01:20
Gustaf Kilander
Ryan Wesley Routh’s criminal history includes possession of stolen goods, having a revoked driver’s license, resisting an officer, carrying a concealed weapon, and a number of other violations, such as a hit and run.
Ryan Wesley Routh criminal history in NC pic.twitter.com/tyJ8lJDew9
— Jacqueline Sweet (@JSweetLI) September 15, 2024
Everything we know so far about the shooting at Donald Trump’s golf club
01:00
Justin Rohrlich
A suspect is in custody following what the FBI says was a disrupted assassination attempt on Donald Trump at one of the former president’s Florida golf resorts on Sunday.
A Secret Service agent opened fire on the suspect after spotting a rifle barrel through the perimeter fence of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. The suspect fled but is now in custody and has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh.
Trump immediately began fundraising off the latest alleged assassination attempt with an email to supporters, reading, “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL! Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me.”
Trump sends second fundraising email after shooting
Monday 16 September 2024 00:39
Gustaf Kilander
Trump sent a second fundraising email on Sunday night after the second attempt on his life within the last few months.
My resolve is only stronger after another attempt on my life!
I will never slow down.
I will never give up.
I WILL NEVER SURRENDER!
I thank God every day for having supporters like you on my side.
On November 5th, WE WILL MAKE A