A mobile bubble of US secret service agents foiled the suspected second assassination attempt on Donald Trump as the former president played golf on Sunday.
Agents shot a suspect after seeing a rifle muzzle poke through bushes and a chain-link fence that lines the perimeter of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, around 1:30 p.m.
Trump, who was not injured, was 100 to 150 yards from the suspect when agents opened fire, law enforcement officials said. The suspect fled the scene and agents recovered a rifle with a scope, two backpacks containing ceramic tiles and a GoPro video camera, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said in a news conference Sunday.
The suspect was arrested a short time later in a black Nissan SUV on I-95 about 45 miles north of the golf course. He was identified as Ryan Routh, 58, formerly of Hawaii and North Carolina.
Routh was charged in federal court on Monday with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
How did the agents stop the suspect?
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Sunday’s incident came more than two months after a gunman shot Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, leaving Trump’s ear bloodied. One man died and two others were wounded. A Secret Service sniper killed the gunman.
Large spaces like outdoor rallies and golf courses – both favored by Trump – make Secret Service protection more difficult. Golf courses, with their large, sprawling areas covered in trees, shrubs or other things that limit visibility, pose particular challenges. They are usually bordered by roads or public land.
When Trump plays golf, he travels around the course in a protective bubble of agents who cover an area three to five holes in front of and behind Trump, discreetly keeping high-tech equipment on the lookout for potential attackers, USA TODAY reported.
The agents do this while trying to accommodate other golfers on the course. According to CNN, they typically try to blend in by wearing golf attire and riding in golf carts in front of and behind the former president as he plays. Other agents who go ahead of Trump examine the grounds and surroundings as he and they walk down the course.
One of those officers spotted the rifle in the bushes and opened fire, police said. An estimated four to six shots were fired by that officer and others. Court records later revealed that the suspect did not fire.
The backpack containing ceramic tiles may have been used as makeshift body armor, NewsNation reported.
Phone records later revealed that the suspect was in the area from 1:59 a.m. to 1:31 p.m. on Sunday.
What weapon did the suspect have?
Routh, who formerly lived in Hawaii and Greensboro, North Carolina, left behind a weapon described as an “SKS rifle.” The rifle’s serial number was scratched out, court documents later showed.
Suspect arrested after new assassination attempt on Trump
STORY: Former US President Donald Trump is safe after shots were fired at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, in what the FBI says was another assassination attempt. Officials say Secret Service agents saw a rifle barrel sticking out of the bushes as they cleared holes on the course in front of Trump, then fired at a gunman near the property line, just a few hundred yards from
How the incident unfolded
All times are East Coast time and are approximate.
13:31: A Secret Service agent shoots a suspect after spotting a rifle in the bushes. The suspect flees and a witness sees him get into a black Nissan SUV.
2:14 p.m.: The Martin County Sheriff’s Office stops the suspect’s vehicle on I-95 northbound. The witness is brought in and identifies the suspect.
14:49: On X, Anthony Guglielmi, Secret Service communications director, says Trump is safe.
15:27: On Facebook, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office announced that a suspect is in custody.
5pm: Secret Service, FBI and Palm Beach County Sheriff hold a press conference on the incident.
17:21: JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, tweeted: Trump is safe.
Contributors: Josh Meyer, John Bacon, Michael Collins, USA TODAY
Source: Reporting and research by USA TODAY Network; Reuters
