Five things you need to know about the apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump – Orange County Register

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Former President Donald Trump is safe from what the FBI says “appears to be an assassination attempt” while he was golfing two months after another assassination attempt on him at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Local authorities said U.S. Secret Service agents protecting Trump shot a man who was aiming an AK-style rifle through a scope as Trump was playing at one of his Florida golf courses in West Palm Beach.

Here are five things you need to know about what happened to the Republican presidential candidate on Sunday.

Related: FBI investigating Florida incident as attempted assassination of Trump

Who is the suspect?

Law enforcement officials said the man who pointed the rifle and was arrested is Ryan Wesley Routh. Officials identified the suspect to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

The suspect dropped the gun and fled in a pickup truck. He was later arrested in a neighboring county, authorities said. The motive for the attack is unclear. Local authorities said the gunman had two backpacks hanging from a fence and a GoPro camera.

Routh was convicted in 2002 of possession of a weapon of mass destruction, according to online records from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.

Records don’t provide details about the case. But a 2002 News & Record article says a man with the same name was arrested after a three-hour standoff with police. The article says he was detained during a traffic stop, put his hand on a gun and barricaded himself inside a roofing business. Routh was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and possessing a weapon of mass destruction, “referring to a fully automatic machine gun,” according to the News & Record.

How did this happen?

Local authorities said the gunman was about 400 to 500 yards from Trump and hiding in bushes as the former president played a round of golf at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said that when people go into the bushes surrounding the golf course, they are “virtually invisible.” Bradshaw said the entire golf course would have been surrounded by law enforcement if Trump were the sitting president, but since he is not, “security is limited to areas that the Secret Service deems possible.”

Trump’s protective detail has been larger than some of his peers because of his high visibility and his campaign to return to the White House. His security was beefed up days before the July assassination attempt in Pennsylvania because of a threat to Trump’s life from Iran, U.S. officials said.

Related: Trump’s golf trip has posed a security challenge for the Secret Service

What has Trump said since the attempt?

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!”

His running mate, JD Vance, and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said they spoke to Trump after the incident and that both said he was “in good spirits.” Trump also reached out to several Fox News hosts.

Fox News host Sean Hannity, a close friend of the former president, said on air that he spoke to Trump and his golfing partner, Steve Witkoff, after the game. They told Hannity they were on the fifth hole when they heard a “pop pop, pop pop.” Within seconds, he said Witkoff recounted that Secret Service agents “pounced on” Trump and “covered him” to protect him.

Moments later, Witkoff said, a “fast car” with steel reinforcements and other protection was able to take Trump away.

Hannity said Trump’s reaction after this happened — and when it became clear that everyone, including Witkoff, was safe — was to joke that he was sad he couldn’t finish the hole since “I was tied and had a birdie putt.”

What does Vice President Kamala Harris say?

Harris, Trump’s Democratic opponent in the presidential election, posted on X that she had been briefed on the shooting reports.

“I’m glad he’s safe. Violence has no place in America.”

The White House said President Joe Biden and Harris would be briefed on the investigation. The White House added that it was “relieved” to hear that Trump is safe.