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Attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Florida

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Trump International Golf Club shooting
The suspect's car getting pulled over by police soon after the incident
Map
Location of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida
LocationTrump International Golf Club (West Palm Beach, Florida, US)
Coordinates26°39′58″N 80°5′54″W / 26.66611°N 80.09833°W / 26.66611; -80.09833
DateSeptember 15, 2024; 2 months ago (2024-09-15)
~1:30 p.m. (UTC−04:00)
TargetBelieved to be Donald Trump
Attack type
Suspected assassination attempt
WeaponAK-47-style rifle
Deaths0
Injured0
MotiveUnder investigation
AccusedRyan Wesley Routh
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Donald Trump
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On September 15, 2024, Secret Service agents fired upon a suspect, later identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, who was spotted hiding in shrubs with a rifle at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Routh fled the scene and was later captured in the nearby Martin County, Florida.[1] The incident occurred while Donald Trump, a former president of the United States, was golfing at the club. Officials believe that the man intended to shoot Trump.[2] No injuries were reported.[3] The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident as an attempted assassination.[4]

Background

The Trump International Golf Club has been noted as a potential target for attempts on Donald Trump's life.[5] The incident occurred 64 days after a previous assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in which Trump was shot and wounded in his upper right ear.[6]

Incident

The incident took place at roughly 1:30 p.m. EDT[7] while Trump was golfing at the club between holes five and six[8] with friend and donor Steve Witkoff.[9] A man was seen by Secret Service agents aiming a rifle on the golf course while hiding in shrubs approximately 400 yards away from Trump.[3] The agents fired at the man, who dropped his weapon and fled in a vehicle. It is unclear whether the man fired at the agents.[7] A witness took a photo of the suspect's vehicle, assisting authorities in tracking it down.[10] The golf course was locked down shortly after the incident,[2] and no injuries were reported.[11][12]

Recovered at the scene were an AK-47-style rifle with a scope, two backpacks containing ceramic tiles that could deflect a bullet, and a GoPro camera.[7][13]

Suspect

Main article: Ryan Wesley Routh

Shortly after the incident, authorities identified the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh, a 58-year-old Hawaii resident who had spent most of his life in Greensboro, North Carolina.[14] Routh and his son own a shed-building company in Hawaii.[15] Routh had a history of political activity online and offline, including writing on Signal about the Russian invasion of Ukraine that, "Civilians must change this war and prevent future wars". Routh had also made posts on X claiming he voted for Trump in 2016 but has since regretted it, praised Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and invited North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to Hawaii for a "vacation," in which Routh would act as "liaison".[14][15][16][17] In a self-published e-book in 2023, he wrote about his previous support for Trump by stating, "I am man enough to say that I misjudged and made a terrible mistake".[17] Routh had, additionally, donated $140 to Democratic causes since 2019, and is registered in North Carolina as an independent voter.[15][17]

Routh said in a 2022 interview with a Romanian reporter in Kyiv that he flew to Ukraine to join the army in the months after Russia's full-scale invasion but learned that he was "not an ideal candidate" for the battlefield because he was in his mid-50s with no military experience. Later in 2022, Routh said in an interview that after he was rejected for military service, he began recruiting volunteer soldiers for the Ukrainian military.[18] Routh complained of roadblocks to Ukraine admitting foreign fighters, telling the publication Semafor, "Ukraine is very often hard to work with, they're afraid that anybody and everybody is a Russian spy".[19]

Investigation

Routh was detained as a person of interest while he was driving northbound on Interstate 95 from Palm Beach County to Martin County, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.[20] The sheriff's units "waited a while" to stop the vehicle to avoid engaging in a high-speed chase. Routh's car was contained by sheriff's units, who forced him off the road and arrested him at gunpoint.[21] Routh was unarmed at the time of his arrest.[22]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation,[7] with the United States Secret Service and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.[8] The FBI is treating the incident as an attempted assassination.[4] Routh's motive is currently unknown,[20] though officials believe he intended to shoot Trump.[2]

Responses

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump's opponent in the 2024 presidential election, were briefed on the incident.[11] The White House released a statement saying: "The president and vice president have been briefed about the security incident at the Trump International Golf Course, where former President Trump was golfing. They are relieved to know that he is safe."[20] In a separate statement, Harris said: "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. Violence has no place in America."[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Devine, Curt; Chapman, Isabelle; et al. (September 16, 2024). "Man detained in apparent assassination attempt on Trump criticized former president on social media | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Holmes, Kristen; Millar, John; Sullivan, Kate; Perez, Evan; Herb, Jeremy (September 15, 2024). "Trump is safe following shooting at Florida golf course; suspect detained". CNN. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Trump was the subject of an apparent assassination attempt at his Florida golf club, the FBI says". Associated Press. September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Shen, Michelle; LeBlanc, Paul; D’Antonio, Isabelle; Forrest, Jack; Chowdhury, Maureen (September 15, 2024). "Live updates: FBI investigating apparent assassination attempt of Trump in Florida". CNN. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  5. ^ "Trump was golfing at his club when Secret Service agents heard gunshots". The Washington Post. September 15, 2024.
  6. ^ McGraw, Meridith; Allison, Natalie (September 15, 2024). "Trump safe after gunshots reported near Florida golf club". Politico. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d "Donald Trump latest: Man in custody and AK-47-style weapon found after 'apparent assassination attempt' on Trump". BBC News. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Trump uninjured after gunfire near his Florida club". The Washington Post. September 15, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  9. ^ Traylor, Jake; Dienst, Jonathan; Winter, Tom; O'Donnell, Kelly; Atkins, Chloe; Marquez, Alexandra; Lebowitz, Megan (September 15, 2024). "Trump safe after suspect in apparent assassination attempt arrested with AR-style rifle, scope and GoPro". NBC News. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  10. ^ Stepansky, Joseph. "FBI probing shooting at Trump's golf course as 'attempted assassination'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Faulders, Katherine; Scott, Rachel; Date, Jack; Sarnoff, Leah (September 15, 2024). "Trump is 'safe' after gunshots near his Florida golf club, campaign says". ABC News. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  12. ^ Fuhrman, Dillon (September 15, 2024). "Former President Donald Trump reported safe following shooting near his vicinity". Associated Press. Retrieved September 15, 2024 – via KYMA-DT.
  13. ^ Halpert, Madeline; Peter, Laurence (September 15, 2024). "Trump rushed to safety and suspect held after man spotted with rifle". BBC News. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Goldman, Adam; Gibbons-Neff, Thomas; Thrush, Glenn; Rahim, Najim (September 15, 2024). "Suspected Gunman Said He Was Willing to Fight and Die in Ukraine". The New York Times. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c Licon, Adriana (September 15, 2024). "5 things to know about the apparent assassination attempt on Trump at one of his golf courses". Associated Press. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  16. ^ Mikkelsen, Emily; Skipper, Elijah; Melrose, Justyn (September 15, 2024). "Greensboro neighbor describes man accused of attempting Trump assassination, says 'a lot of people were afraid of him'". Fox 8. Retrieved September 15, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ a b c Guzman, Chad de (September 16, 2024). "What We Know—and Don't Know—So Far About the Trump Golf Course Shooter". TIME. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  18. ^ Pinho, Faith E.; Nelson, Laura J.; Winton, Richard (September 16, 2024). "Trump assassination attempt suspect said he had hoped to fight in Ukraine". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  19. ^ Romero, Dennis (September 16, 2024). "Man in custody after Trump golf club incident was once convicted of possessing a machine gun". NBC News. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  20. ^ a b c Mazzei, Patricia; Swan, Jonathan; Haberman, Maggie; Goldman, Adam; Thrush, Glenn (September 15, 2024). "Trump Safe After Shooting Reported at His Golf Course". The New York Times. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  21. ^ Lopez, Viviana (September 15, 2024). "Martin County Sheriff's Office arrests suspect after 'attempted assassination' at Trump golf club". WPBF. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  22. ^ "LIVE: FBI investigates potential assassination attempt on Trump after shots fired near his Florida golf course". ABC News. September 15, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
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