Follow live coverage of the apparent assassination attempt against Donald Trump.
Former President Donald J. Trump was playing golf Sunday afternoon in Florida when a Secret Service agent spotted a man armed with a rifle standing near a chain-link fence on the perimeter of the course, law enforcement officials said.
Officers opened fire and the man fled in a black Nissan but was eventually taken into custody, authorities said.
Although Mr. Trump is unharmed, the FBI said it was investigating the incident as an assassination attempt, the second against the former president in just over two months. Mr. Trump was injured in a previous attempt at a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The suspected shooter was identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe an open investigation.
The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. Sunday while Mr. Trump was golfing at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a news briefing.
A Secret Service agent who was a few holes away from Mr. Trump saw the gunman hiding in the bushes near a fence on the perimeter of the course, according to Sheriff Bradshaw. The Secret Service shot the man, said Rafael Barros, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Miami field office, though it was not immediately clear whether the suspect fired.
Mr. Trump was perhaps 400 yards from the gunman, Sheriff Bradshaw said.
A semi-automatic rifle with a scope was found near the property line, along with two backpacks hanging on the fence. The backpacks contained ceramic tiles, and investigators also found a video camera, the sheriff said, adding that investigators believe the man may have intended to film the shooting.
“President Trump is safe after gunfire nearby,” Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign’s communications director, said in a statement.
A witness saw the man running from the bushes toward a black Nissan, the sheriff said. The witness took a photo of the car and shared it with law enforcement. The man was arrested as he was driving northbound on Interstate 95 after crossing into Martin County.
Law enforcement is investigating who bought the gun and where it was sold, according to two officials familiar with the situation.
Mr. Routh was interviewed by The New York Times in 2023 for a story about Americans volunteering to help the war effort in Ukraine. Mr. Routh, who had no military experience, said he traveled to the country after Russia invaded in 2022 to recruit Afghan soldiers to fight there. He told the Times that he had previously traveled to Washington to meet with politicians to shore up support for Ukraine. “I’m just an American citizen helping out,” he said.
Mr. Trump was golfing with his friend Steve Witkoff, a New York real estate investor, when the shots were fired, according to three people briefed on the matter. Mr. Trump later returned to Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach estate. His campaign sent two fundraising emails related to the episode. “There are people in this world who will do whatever it takes to stop us,” one said.
Golf courses can pose a security challenge for the former president. While they offer few places to hide, they also have large spaces and few places to take cover. At the news conference, Sheriff Bradshaw acknowledged that the level of security Sunday would have been higher if Mr. Trump had been the sitting president.
Vice President Kamala Harris said on social media that she had been informed of the shooting. “I am glad he is safe,” she wrote. “Violence has no place in America.”
President Biden said in a statement that he had been briefed on the investigation.
“I am relieved that the former president is unharmed,” Biden said. “This incident is under investigation as law enforcement gathers more details about what happened. As I have said repeatedly, there is no place for political violence or any other violence in our country, and I have directed my team to continue to ensure that the Secret Service has all the resources, capabilities, and safeguards necessary to ensure the former president’s continued safety.”
South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on social media that he had spoken with Mr Trump and was “in good spirits”.
Mr. Trump spoke to friends and allies throughout the afternoon, according to two people briefed on the scene at Mar-a-Lago, and joked about his frustration at not being able to finish his round of golf.
Mr. Trump’s former White House physician, Representative Ronny L. Jackson, said he spoke to Trump on Sunday afternoon.
“He told me he was always happy to hear from me, but he was glad he didn’t need my services today,” Dr. Jackson said. “I just told him I was glad he was okay, and he said he couldn’t believe this had happened.”
The report was produced by Maggie Astor, Michel Gold, Adam Goldman, Kate Kelly, William K. Rashbaum And Glen Thrush.
