Shots fired near Trump in Florida; campaign says ex-president is safe

Former President Donald Trump is safe after gunshots rang out Sunday near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where the Republican presidential candidate was playing golf, the Trump campaign confirmed.

“President Trump is safe following the shooting that occurred in his entourage. There are no further details at this time,” Steven Cheung, communications director for Trump’s campaign, said in a statement.

U.S. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said on social media that “a protective incident” involving Trump occurred shortly before 2 p.m. ET and that the Secret Service was investigating the incident with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. He confirmed that Trump was safe.

Guglielmi added that the two agencies would brief journalists on Sunday afternoon.

Authorities have not identified the shooter and it was not immediately clear whether Trump was the intended target of the attack. The private golf club is about 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) from Trump’s primary residence at Mar-a-Lago.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, said on social media that she had been briefed and was glad Trump was safe.

“Violence has no place in the United States,” he said.

The White House said President Joe Biden had also been briefed.

“They are relieved to know he is safe,” the White House said of Biden and Harris. “Their team will keep them updated regularly.”

The incident came after an assassination attempt on Trump on July 13 during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network funded by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact editor Greg LaRose with questions: [email protected]. Follow Louisiana Illuminator on Facebook and X.