Just nine weeks after having survived an attempted assassination on his life, Donald Trump, the Republican Presidential nominee, is a target of what appears to be another attempted assassination at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
According to the FBI, the former president is reportedly safe and well and the man attempting the assassination was held in custody.
The man in custody was identified as Ryan Routh, 58, three law enforcement officials reportedly told the AP on condition of anonymity as the investigation is still going on.
In the golf club where Trump was playing, the US Secret Service stationed a few quarters away from the presidential candidate, reportedly noticed a muzzle of an AK-style rifle sticking through the shrubbery that lines the course, roughly around 400 yards.
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An agent of the Secret Service fired at the gunman, who reportedly dropped the rifle and fled in an SUV. He had left behind two backpacks, along with a scope for aiming and a GoPro camera. He was stopped by the law enforcement in the neighbouring country.
Before the rumour could have started to spiral, Trump in an email to his support said that he was well and safe.
Trump reportedly said, "There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumours start spiralling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” He wrote: “Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!, as per AP.
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Ryan Routh had lived in North Carolina for most of his life before moving to Hawaii in 2018. It was reported that in 2020, he made a social media post backing Trump's reelection, but switched to the democratic side with support for Biden and Harris as his recent post showed.
He had reportedly tried to recruit Afghan soldiers to fight in Ukraine and had spent several months in the country last year, according to an interview with the New York Times last year.
The latest assassination attempt is a jarring moment in this year's US presidential campaign year marked by unprecedented upheaval.
On July 13, Trump was shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and a bullet grazed his ear.
Biden and Kamala Harris who were briefed on the matter reportedly said that "violence has no place in America."
Biden stated that he had the Secret Service team to ensure Trump "has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former president's continued safety."
