The alleged shooter behind what appears to be an assassination attempt on the former president Donald Trump has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh. Routh is accused of attempting to shoot the businessman while he was golf at Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach, near his Mar-a-Lago estate, Florida.
The suspect’s identity was confirmed by law enforcement officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation. Secret Service agents shot the suspect, who was taken into custody after fleeing the scene of what the FBI is calling an apparent assassination attempt on the Republican presidential candidate.
Authorities are currently trying to establish a motive. The U.S. Secret Service confirmed that the former president Donald Trump is safe after the shooting, in which emergency services rushed to the scene and shots were fired at a man believed to be armed with an assault rifle.
It is believed that this happened after a Secret Service agent walking several holes ahead of the President on the course spotted a rifle barrel in a tree line and alerted the rest of Trump’s protective detail. The former President stated that he is “safe and well” following the incident and expressed his enduring love for his supporters, saying that he will “always love” his supporters.
Two law enforcement officials said the Secret Service opened fire after spotting a person with a gun near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club while he was playing golf on Sunday.
A suspect in the shooting fled the area in an SUV and was later apprehended by police in a neighboring county, officials familiar with the investigation said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing case. A gun, described as an AK-style firearm, was found near President Trump’s golf course, those officials and a third official confirmed.
In response to the incident, Trump issued a statement: “There have been shots fired in my neighborhood, but before the rumors start getting out of hand, 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. God bless you.”