Trump was the target of an apparent assassination attempt at his Florida golf club, FBI says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI said Sunday it was investigating “what appears to be an assassination attempt” on Donald Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, just nine weeks after the Republican presidential nominee survived another assassination attempt. Trump said he was safe and well.

The U.S. Secret Service opened fire on a man who was pointing an AK-style rifle at the club while Trump was on the golf course, three law enforcement officials said. The man dropped the weapon and fled in a pickup truck, and was later taken into custody in a neighboring county. The officials were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

An AK-style firearm was recovered at the scene near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, two of the officials said. No injuries were reported.

The suspect has been identified in the media as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii. Authorities have not confirmed his identity.

The incident was the latest jarring moment in a campaign year marked by unprecedented turmoil. It came roughly two months after Trump was shot during an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, with a bullet grazing his ear. Just a week later, President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

READ MORE: Trump is safe after Secret Service opened fire on suspect with firearm near his golf club

In an email to supporters, Trump said: “There were shots fired near me, but before the rumors start to get out of hand, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND OK!”

“Nothing will stop me. I will never give up!” said the former president.

The golf course was partially closed to Trump while he was playing, and agents were a few holes ahead of him when they noticed the person with the firearm, officials said. There are several areas around the perimeter of the property where golfers are visible from the fence line. Secret Service agents and officers in golf carts and on all-terrain vehicles typically secure the area several holes ahead and behind Trump when he is golfing. Agents also often bring an armored vehicle to the course to quickly shelter Trump should a threat arise.

Trump had returned to Florida this weekend after a West Coast tour that included a Friday night rally in Las Vegas and a fundraiser in Utah. His campaign had not provided word of Trump’s plans for Sunday. He often spends the morning golfing, before lunching at the club, one of three he owns in the state.

The former president has beefed up his security since the assassination attempt in July. When he has been at Trump Tower in New York, a line of dump trucks have been parked on a wall outside the building. And at outdoor rallies, he now speaks from behind a bulletproof glass enclosure.

Trump was safely returned after the incident to his private Mar-a-Lago club, where he resides in nearby Palm Beach, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, had been briefed and would be kept informed about the investigation. The White House added that they were “relieved” to hear that Trump is safe.

Harris, in a statement, said she was “happy” Trump was safe and added that “violence has no place in America.”

In a post on X, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., one of Trump’s top allies in Congress, said he had spoken to Trump after the incident and that Trump was in “good spirits” and “one of the strongest people I’ve ever met.”

Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder said the suspect was taken into custody within minutes after the FBI, Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office issued a “very urgent BOLO” or “be on the lookout” alert detailing the specific vehicle being sought, the license plate number and a description of the occupant.

Snyder said his officers “immediately flooded” northbound I-95, deploying at every exit between the Palm Beach County line to the south and the St. Lucie County line to the north.

“One of my highway patrol units spotted the vehicle, matched the license plate and we got a hold of the vehicle,” Snyder said. “We approached the car, safely stopped it and detained the driver.”

Snyder told WPTV that the suspect “was not armed when we pulled him out of the car.”

The man had a calm, level demeanor and showed little emotion when he was detained by police, Snyder said, adding that the suspect did not question why he was stopped.

“He never questioned what it was all about. Obviously, law enforcement officers with long rifles, blue lights, a lot of things going on. He never questioned it,” Snyder said.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has been briefed on the situation and is receiving regular updates, a Justice Department spokeswoman said.

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office’s statement said the suspect was taken into custody near Palm City, Florida, about 45 miles north of Trump’s golf course. The northbound lanes of I-95 were closed, the sheriff’s office said.

A message sent to campaign officials seeking information on the security status and location of Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, was not immediately returned.

Max Egusquiza of Palm Beach described the emergency response outside Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach.

“From what I saw, five unmarked black SUVs blocked a grey Mercedes in front of the golf course. There were about 20 or more police cars flying in from the nearby streets,” he said.

Trump is set to speak about cryptocurrencies live on Monday night on social media site X for the launch of his sons’ cryptocurrency platform. He is expected to do so from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The former president is scheduled to return to the campaign trail on Tuesday for a town hall in Flint, Michigan, with his former press secretary, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, followed by a campaign rally in Long Island, New York, on Wednesday.

Later in the week, he is scheduled to attend and address the Israeli-American Council National Summit in Washington, D.C., and on Saturday he will hold a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Michael R. Sisak in New York, Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, and Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this report.