Former President Donald Trump was uninjured following shots that were fired near his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, according to his campaign and the US Secret Service.
“President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity. No further details at this time,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement.
Representatives for the FBI said in a statement published by numerous outlets that the agency is investigating what “appears to be an attempted assassination” of Trump.
Representatives for the FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
The shooting occurred at the Trump International Golf Club at roughly 2 p.m. ET, representatives for the Secret Service said in a press conference shortly after the incident. The suspect, according to law enforcement speaking at the press conference, was carrying an AK-47-style rifle with a scope, two backpacks that had ceramic tile in them, and a GoPro camera.
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Trump was likely between 300 and 500 yards away from the suspect when he was apprehended, a spokesperson for the Secret Service said in the press conference.
“But with a rifle and a scope like that, that’s not a long distance,” he added.
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A Secret Service agent opened fire at a suspect who had a weapon as Trump was on the golf course, a spokesperson for the agency said during the press conference. A potential suspect was taken into custody by local law enforcement.
“Our prosecutors are currently working up warrants and a motion for pretrial detention for the suspect,” Dave Arenberg, state attorney for Palm Beach County, said in the press conference. “In that way, he will be kept in custody. But our filing of these warrants and charges at the state level does not preclude federal charges that could be coming.”
Trump briefly addressed the incident in an email blast on Sunday.
“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!” he said. “Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me. Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again.”
The individual or individuals responsible for the shooting have so far not been identified.
The incident occurred months after an attempt to assassinate Trump in July during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. It comes as the Secret Service has been heavily scrutinized over their handling of the earlier shooting incident, where the ex-president was wounded in his ear.
Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, posted on X that he spoke to Trump before the news broke and that the former president “was, amazingly, in good spirits.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic opponent in the 2024 presidential election, on Sunday strongly decried the latest shooting incident.
“I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe,” she said in a statement. “Violence has no place in America.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
