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 a Secret Service agent spotted and fired shots at the man, 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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The suspect fled after the Secret Service agent opened fire, a spokesperson for the agency said during the press conference. It remains unclear whether the suspect was able to fire any rounds from his gun before being fired upon by the Secret Service.
Officials said a witness spotted the potential suspect as he fled from the bushes near the golf course. The witness had taken a photo of the suspect’s vehicle, which was used to identify him as he drove on the I-95 freeway headed into Martin County.
“The Martin County Sheriff’s Office received a law enforcement BOLO (be on the lookout) for a suspect vehicle involved in a shooting incident at Trump International Golf Course where former president Donald Trump was playing golf,” a spokesperson for Martin County told Business Insider. “The moment we received the bolo, MCSO units mobilized, locked down areas of I-95 and were able to quickly locate the suspect vehicle and do a felony stop in which the suspect was taken into custody.”
The suspect was detained and taken into custody by local law enforcement.
Dave Arenberg, state attorney for Palm Beach County, said in the press conference that prosecutors are working up warrants and a motion for pretrial detention for the suspect.
“In that way, he will be kept in custody,” Arenberg said. “But our filing of these warrants and charges at the state level does not preclude federal charges that could be coming.”
The New York Times reported that the former president was on the golf course with several members of his staff and his longtime friend Steve Witkoff when the incident occurred.
Sen. Lindsey Graham told The Times that Trump was whisked off the course quickly by “500 cops” and that the former president expressed gratitude for his Secret Service detail in the aftermath of the incident.
‘These people are awesome,'” Graham told The Times Trump said of his security detail.
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 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.”
President Joe Biden similarly condemned the incident in a statement, in which he commended the work of the Secret Service and local law enforcement for their efforts to keep the former President safe.
“I am relieved that the former President is unharmed,” Biden said. “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.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
