Yesterday, former President Donald Trump was the target of “what appears to be” a second attempted assassination, according to the FBI.
The attempted assassination comes barely two months after Trump narrowly survived a previous attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania.
An FBI agent takes picture of the evidence of the crime scene outside the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, 2024 following a shooting incident at former president Donald Trump's golf course. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
What Happened
Trump was golfing at the Trump International Golf Course at West Palm Beach when, around 1:30 p.m., a Secret Service agent patrolling the area noticed a rifle pointed through the perimeter fence. The rifle was later discovered to be “AK-47 style” and had a scope attachment.
At that point, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said, the suspect was within 300 and 500 feet of the president—a minor range given the scope attached to the rifle.
The agent who noticed the rifle immediately opened fire, releasing four to six rounds.
Bradshaw said the gunman didn’t fire any shots before being targeted by the agent.
Trump and those close to him revealed shortly after the news of the incident broke that he was unharmed.
“I am safe and well!” Trump wrote in all caps in a social media post after the incident.
According to Fox News anchor Sean Hannity, who spoke to Trump and his golfing partner Steve Witkoff after the incident, the Secret Service “pounced” after shots were fired.
“Within seconds, the Secret Service pounced on the president and covered him,“ Hannity said Witkoff told him. ”You had snipers with tripods. They knew the direction where the shots had been fired. And they had eyes on the location where the shots had been fired.”
The suspect fled at that point, leaving behind several belongings.
Photos of the contents released by authorities include the rifle, a GoPro, and two nondescript bags. Authorities believe that the suspect intended to record the suspected assassination attempt.
As the suspect fled, a witness took photos of his car and license plate. These were used to apprehend the suspect during a traffic stop on I-95.
Officials have not yet released the suspect’s name and motives.
The suspect is currently in the custody of Florida’s Martin County Police Department, and officials are working on a warrant and pretrial detention applications. Currently, the suspect only faces state-level charges, but officials say federal charges could also be levied.
Federal law provides for up to life imprisonment for the attempted assassination of a president.
Investigations
Several agencies are currently investigating the incident.
The FBI is leading the investigation into the attempted assassination, with assistance from the Secret Service, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Sunday evening that the state of Florida would also be investigating the assassination attempt.
“The people deserve the truth about the would-be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee.”
The ongoing investigation into the attempted assassination in Butler has not yet identified a motive for the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Congressional investigations into the matter are also expected.
A bipartisan House task force investigating the first assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump has requested a briefing from the Secret Service in the wake of the second attempt, the panel announced Sunday.
“We are thankful that the former President was not harmed, but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all of its forms,” Chairman Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Ranking Member Jason Crow (D-Colo.) said in a joint statement, promising to “share updates as we learn more.”
Both Parties Condemn Political Violence
Prominent members of both parties released statements in the wake of the attack, expressing gratitude for Trump’s safety and condemning political violence.
President Joe Biden said he was “relieved that the former president is unharmed.”
“As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or any violence ever in our country,” Biden said, promising to ensure that the Secret Service has the resources it needs to protect Trump.
Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s leading rival for the presidency, said in a post on X, “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.”
Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Trump’s running mate, wrote on X, “I’m glad President Trump is safe. I spoke to him before the news was public, and he was, amazingly, in good spirits. Still much we don’t know, but I'll be hugging my kids extra tight tonight and saying a prayer of gratitude.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he and his wife met with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago after the attempted assassination, adding that no American leader “has endured more attacks” than Trump.
“Kelly and I are departing Mar-a-Lago, where we just spent a few hours with President Trump and are thanking God for protecting him today—once again,” Johnson said in a post on X.
In a brief statement on X, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said, “Political violence has no place in a democratic society.”
—Joseph Lord
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