The FBI is investigating a second alleged assassination attempt on Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump, a headline in the "Financial Times" .
Former President Donald Trump is safe after what the FBI is investigating as a potential assassination attempt in South Florida, just two months after a gunman tried to kill the Republican presidential candidate at a rally in Pennsylvania.
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The alleged assassination attempt against Trump comes just over seven weeks before he faces Vice President Kamala Harris in the tight and contested presidential race.
Trump, who was at his golf club near his Mar a Lago estate yesterday, released a statement saying: “FEAR NOT! I am safe and well and no one was hurt. Thank God!“
The FBI said it “has responded (to the incident) in West Palm Beach County, Florida, and is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump.
Law enforcement officials have detained a man who they say was hiding in the bushes next to the fence of the “Trump“ International Golf Club. yesterday afternoon. In the bushes, they found an AK-47 assault rifle with an optical sight, two backpacks and a GoPro camera, Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw told reporters yesterday.
A Secret Service agent opened fire on the man after spotting an assault rifle through the golf course fence, Bradshaw said. Trump was probably 300 to 500 yards (274 to 457 meters) away from him, he added.
Police have arrested the suspect, Ryan Wesley Rout, a 58-year-old man who recently lived in Hawaii and in recent years has been trying to leave to fight in the war in Ukraine, according to postings on the Internet and law enforcement officials. "Washington Post". According to public records and media reports, Raut has a criminal history, including barricading himself in a building with an assault rifle in 2002. Yesterday, the FBI searched his car, a black Nissan, as agency officials looked for clues to a possible motive.
The US publication notes that it is the second time in just over two months that an attacker has used an automatic weapon to target Trump, raising new concerns for the former president's safety in the heat of the campaign ahead of Election Day on 5 November. US special services have long viewed golf courses as a particular challenge because they are open to a portion of the public and are located near areas with heavy road traffic. The agency has repeatedly refused requests from Trump's campaign headquarters for additional security measures at his public events, with officials citing limited resources, the American newspaper added.
The fleeing alleged shooter was spotted by a bystander who called police to report the car and its license plate number, Sheriff Bradshaw said. Officers tracked the car down the highway and spotted it about 70 km to the north in neighboring Martin County.
Palm Beach County District Attorney David Arenberg said prosecutors are working on warrants for the suspect's preliminary arrest.
Bradshaw praised the agent who spotted the machine gun and the response of law enforcement. He noted that Trump is entitled to less security as a former president and candidate because he is not a sitting president.
The White House released a statement from President Joe Biden, in which he said: “I am relieved to learn that the former president is unharmed.“
Biden also said he “directed his team to continue to ensure that the Secret Service has all necessary resources, capabilities and safeguards in place to ensure the continued safety of the former president,” states in " ;Guardian".
Vice President Kamala Harris said she was “deeply troubled by the possible assassination attempt on former President Trump. "While we gather the facts, I will be clear: I condemn political violence. We must all do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence,” she added.
Trump's campaign headquarters, also headquartered in West Palm Beach, was closed. The “Trump“ International Golf Club also stopped working after the incident, notes the publication "Politico".
The man detained shortly after the incident tried to get involved in social networks with a number of international causes, including the war in Ukraine, writes the French newspaper "Mond".
„We are not sure if the person was able to open fire on our agents,” said the representative of the Secret Service Rafael Barros, quoted by "Mond". The FBI has taken over the investigation and the man arrested could face both state and federal charges.