First, Donald Trump’s campaign team reported that shots had been fired “in the vicinity” of the former US president – after which the FBI spoke out: the US federal police are suspecting an attempted assassination of the current Republican presidential candidate.
The 78-year-old was unharmed in the incident at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, and a suspect has been arrested. Many questions remain.
The incident:
Trump was golfing at his West Palm Beach club Sunday afternoon when a Secret Service bodyguard spotted a gun barrel sticking out of the golf course’s brush-covered fence. Shots were fired as a result. “We don’t know for sure at this point that the individual was capable of firing at our agents. But our agents were certainly capable of engaging the individual,” a Secret Service official said at a news conference.
The escape:
Police said the suspect fled in a car. However, a witness observed him and was able to help police identify the car and the man. The suspect was arrested a short time later on a highway near the scene, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said.
The crime scene:
Trump’s golf club is surrounded by a fence, in front of which are tall shrubs and trees. Police have cordoned off an area directly along a street – believed to be where the man had positioned himself. According to police, he left behind an AK-47 assault rifle with a telescopic sight. Security forces also found two backpacks and a compact camera.
The suspect:
Police have not yet released the man’s identity. American media reports, based on police sources, that it is a 58-year-old man who works as an independent contractor in the American state of Hawaii.
The motif:
Investigators initially did not provide any official information about the suspect or his motives. However, US media reported that the man often made political comments on social networks and mainly supported Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia – whose main ally is the US government under President Joe Biden. He tried to recruit foreigners to fight in Ukraine. It is completely unclear whether this has anything to do with what is happening on the golf course. According to CNN, the man also criticized Trump online, who always claims that he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours.
The method:
As a presidential candidate, Trump does not have a public schedule like incumbent President Joe Biden. So it is unclear how the suspect knew Trump would be at his golf club that day if he was actually targeting the politician. Trump played golf with real estate investor and party donor Steve Witkoff on Sunday afternoon. American journalists noted that residents could not miss Trump as he drove his motorcade from his Mar-a-Lago estate, just a few miles away, to West Palm Beach.
The danger:
Police said the suspect was just a few hundred yards away from Trump. It’s unclear how a gunman could get so close to him again after the assassination attempt on the Republican in Pennsylvania two months ago. What is clear, however, is that a presidential candidate and former president enjoy less Secret Service protection than a sitting president.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
