Trump Assassination Attempt: This was the second apparent assassination attempt on US former President Donald Trump within two months, the first one at the election rally in Pennsylvania and the second in Florida Golf Club on Sunday afternoon. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was on a golf course when the US Secret Service detected an unusual presence nearby. The FBI has described the incident as an “attempted assassination.”
The law enforcement officials have arrested a 58-year-old suspect identified as Ryan Wesley Routh. He was allegedly seen behind the bushes, mere 400 to 500 yards away from Trump. When the Secret Service official shot in that direction, he dropped the weapon a high-powered AK-47 style rifle and fled the scene.
Routh entered a black-colored SUV and drove off only to be arrested later in a neighboring county. According to the police, the suspect had two black backpacks hanging on the fence and a GoPro camera.
Martin County Sheriff William Snyder reported that the man, after being apprehended, remained remarkably ‘calm’ and showed minimal emotion. “He never inquired, ‘What is this about?’ Despite the presence of law enforcement with long rifles, blue lights, and considerable activity, he did not question the situation,” Snyder stated.
In 2002, Routh was found guilty of having a weapon of mass destruction, according to online records from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. The records don’t explain the case further, but a 2002 News & Record article mentions a man with the same name who was arrested after a three-hour standoff with police.
Undeterred by the two consecutive near misses, Donald Trump said, “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL”.
“Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER,” he informed his supporters via email and then returned to his residence at Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach.
Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed on the incident. The White House stated they were “relieved” to learn that Trump is safe. Harris, who is running against Trump in the presidential polls, commented in a statement that “violence has no place in America.”
The suspect was apprehended following a “be on the lookout” alert issued by the FBI, Secret Service, and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff William Snyder reported that his deputies “immediately flooded” northbound I-95, covering every exit from the Palm Beach County line to the south and the St. Lucie County line to the north. “One of my road patrol units saw the vehicle, matched the tag, and we set up on the vehicle,” Snyder said. “We pinched in on the car, got it safely stopped, and took the driver into custody.”
On July 13, Donald Trump was shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, with a bullet grazing his ear. Eight days later, President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, clearing the path for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic nominee.
Since the assassination attempt in July, Donald Trump’s security measures have been significantly increased. When he is at Trump Tower in New York, dump trucks are strategically parked to form a barrier outside the building. At outdoor rallies, he now addresses the crowd from behind bulletproof glass.