The first official photos from the scene of a suspected second attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life have been released by officials.
Pictures of evidence found at the fence of US president Donald Trump’s golf course are shown at a press conference in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, 2024 following a shooting incident at former US president Donald Trump’s golf course.
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
The photos show two nondescript bags and a GoPro camera hanging on a fence, indicating that the suspect intended to film the attack, according to Sheriff Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. It also shows an AK-47-style rifle leaning on the fence.
Top Democrats condemned what appears to be a second attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life in public statements.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Sunday evening said he had been briefed on the incident, and expressed gratitude to law enforcement.
“I was just briefed by the Acting Director of the Secret Service,” Schumer said in a post on X. “I applaud the Secret Service for their quick response to ensure former President Trump’s safety.”
Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw said that the Secret Service “did exactly what they should have done” ahead of and following a second attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life at his south Florida golf course.
In a press conference following the incident, Bradshaw said that Trump has fewer Secret Service agents protecting him than a sitting president.
Because he’s not president, “security is limited to the areas that the areas that the Secret Service deems possible,” Bradshaw said.
Law enforcement secures the area around Trump International Golf Club after an apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sept. 15, 2024.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Dave Aronberg, state attorney for Florida’s Palm Beach County, says that his prosecutors are working on charging the would-be assassin of former President Donald Trump with state-level crimes, but said that federal charges are also possible.
Currently, Aronberg said, prosecutors in his office are working on crafting an application for warrants and pretrial detention of the suspect, who hasn’t yet been officially identified by authorities.
“Our filing of the warrant and charges at the state level does not preclude the federal charges that could be coming,” Aronberg said. “But in the meantime, it looks like the warrants and a pretrial detention motion will happen first.”
- At around 1:30 p.m. ET, while former President Donald Trump was golfing at the Trump International Golf Course at West Palm Beach, the Secret Service opened fire at a man hidden in bushes surrounding the golf course who had a rifle pointed toward the course, authorities say.
- Trump and his campaign have confirmed he is unharmed. “I am safe and well!” Trump wrote in all caps in a social media post after the incident.
Palm Beach County Sheriff PIO Teri Barber holds a photograph of the rifle and other items found near where a suspect was discovered during a press conference regarding an apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on Sept. 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle condemned the news of a suspected second attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life on Sunday, calling for peace and expressing opposition to political violence.
In a campaign email after the incident, many details of which remain unknown, Trump confirmed he was safe.
“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! I will always love you for supporting me. Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again.
The email contained a message saying, “May God bless you, Donald Trump,” in all caps.
The FBI reported that former President Donald Trump was the target of a suspected second assassination attempt. Shots were reported in his vicinity, prompting an investigation by the FBI. A Secret Service personnel opened fire on a suspected gunman, leading to the recovery of an AK-47-style rifle, backpacks with ceramic tiles, and a GoPro camera. A suspect was taken into custody in connection with the incident at the Trump International Golf Course.
Law enforcement officials found an AK-47 rifle at the scene, describing the incident as very serious. The former president’s campaign confirmed that he is safe, and the U.S. Secret Service is investigating the matter. Trump reassured his supporters that he is safe and well after the reports of gunshots.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed on the incident and expressed relief that Trump is safe. This incident comes two months after an assassination attempt on Trump’s life at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Can you please rephrase this sentence?
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