A suspect has been arrested and an AK-47 style assault rifle and scope recovered at a Donald Trump golf course in Florida as the FBI investigated what “appears to be an attempted assassination” of the former president.
On Sunday afternoon, Secret Service agents scouting the course ahead of where Trump was playing spotted the muzzle of a firearm poking through a fence in a wooded area at the Trump International club in West Palm Beach, officials said.
The agent opened fire and the suspect fled, the Palm Beach county sheriff, Ric Bradshaw, told reporters. He said a witness took photographs of the suspect and the vehicle he drove off in, and a person was later stopped and detained on Interstate 95 by deputies in Martin county, immediately north of Palm Beach county.
The FBI, in a statement, said the agency believed it was the second attempt on Trump’s life in two months after he was injured in a shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on 13 July. A spectator was killed, two others were injured, and Secret Service snipers shot the would-be assassin dead.
Trump was immediately surrounded by security personnel and was unharmed in Sunday’s incident, which occurred about 1.30pm as he was between the 5th and 6th holes, Bradshaw said, adding that his deputies immediately sealed off the area.
The sheriff estimated the person was spotted between 300 and 500 yards from where Trump was, but “with a rifle and the scope like that, that’s not a long distance,” he said.
Bradshaw did not identify the suspect, but a source with direct knowledge of the investigation confirmed to the Guardian the suspect’s name was Ryan Wesley Routh. The Guardian also spoke to Routh’s son, Oran Routh, who confirmed his father has been detained but did not provide further details.
Later on Sunday, images emerged of Secret Service and homeland security agents searching a former home of the suspect.
Voter registration documents in North Carolina show a man of the same name, aged either 57 or 58, residing in Julien, and registered as a Democrat, having voted most recently in March this year. A social media account belonging to a person with a matching name features numerous posts strongly supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia, and urging Congress to allow US servicemembers to fight in the conflict as civilians. The same account shows support for both Republicans and Democrats, including Trump.
Trump, during last week’s presidential debate in Pennsylvania, repeatedly refused to say if he wanted Ukraine to win the war.
The discovery of a GoPro camera mounted on a fence beside two backpacks, and close to the rifle and scope allegedly left behind by the person, fueled speculation that they intended to film or livestream their actions.
“Fortunately we were able to locate a witness that came to us and said, ‘Hey, I saw the guy running out of the bushes, he jumped into a black Nissan, and I took a picture of the vehicle and the tag,’” Bradshaw said.
“We were able to get a hit on that vehicle on I-95. The witness that witnessed the incident, we took him up there and he identified [the suspect] as the person he saw running out of the bushes and jumped into the car.”
Joe Biden released a statement on Sunday evening, expressing concern about the incident, and political violence.
“I have been briefed by my team regarding what federal law enforcement is investigating as a possible assassination attempt of former president Trump today,” he said. “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.”
The sheriff of Martin county, William Snyder, described the apprehension of the suspect. He said his deputies “immediately flooded I-95 on the northbound lane at every exit between the Palm Beach line and St Lucie county line” after receiving the alert, and spotted and stopped the vehicle.
The sheriff said the suspect was unarmed, and no weapon was immediately visible. The suspect, whom Snyder said was now in the custody of the FBI, offered no resistance.
“The suspect’s demeanor I would describe as having a relatively calm, flat affect,” he said. “He was not displaying a lot of emotions, he never asked: ‘What is this about?’. Obviously law enforcement [was there] with long rifles, blue lights, a lot going on. He never questioned it.
“He was not armed when we took him out of the car.”
Bradshaw told the press conference that the arrested person had made “no statement right now as far as his involvement in the incident, and there’s further investigation to be completed”.
David Aronberg, state attorney for Palm Beach county, said: “Our prosecutors are currently working up warrants and a motion for pre-trial detention for the suspect. In that way, he will be kept in custody.
In a statement to supporters, Trump said: “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!”
He later thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement for keeping him safe on what he called “an interesting day”.
The Republican South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham said Trump was in “good spirits” after returning to Mar-a-Lago, his nearby home in Palm Beach, following the incident. “Just spoke with President Trump. He is one of the strongest people I’ve ever known. He’s in good spirits and he is more resolved than ever to save our country,” Graham posted to X.
The White House said Biden and Kamala Harris had been briefed about the incident. “They are relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team,” a spokesperson said.
Harris, the Democratic nominee who is running for president against Trump in the 5 November election, said in a statement on X: “I am deeply disturbed by the possible assassination attempt of former president Trump today. As we gather the facts, I will be clear: I condemn political violence. We all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more to violence.”
Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate majority leader, echoed Harris in his own statement. “There is no place in this country for political violence of any kind. The perpetrator must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he said.
The Fox News host Sean Hannity told viewers that he also spoke to Trump and confirmed that the former president was “safe and unharmed”.
Hannity added that Trump was on the 5th hole and about to putt when “Secret Service pounced on the president, covered him, you had snipers with tripods.
“They knew the direction where the shots had been fired and they had eyes on the location where the shots had been fired,” Hannity said.
Citing a source, Natalie Winters, the co-host of War Room, which is hosted by former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon, said on X that Trump was “placed in a hard room for protection” after the gunfire.
Hugo Lowell, Reuters and the Associated Press contributed reporting
