Trump is safe after apparent assassination attempt at his Florida golf course, FBI says

A sheriff blocks the street outside the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Staff Writer

Sept. 15, 2024 Updated 8:10 PM PT

Authorites said they recovered an AK-47-style rifle with a scope, two backpack, and a GoPro that could be used to record or stream an attack.
It’s unclear how the suspect knew Trump would be golfing at the course on Sunday.

A man was taken into custody Sunday after attempting to assassinate former President Trump as he golfed at his course in West Palm Beach, Fla., according to law enforcement officials. Trump was unharmed in the second attempt on his life in two months.

The FBI described the incident as “an apparent assassination attempt.”

The suspect was taken into custody and identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, law enforcement sources told The Times. A motive has not yet been determined.

He will initially be booked on state charges, though federal charges are almost certain to follow, authorities said.

The incident unfolded around 1:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. A Secret Service agent scoping out the area one or two holes ahead of Trump saw the muzzle of an AK-47-style weapon pointing out of the treeline on the perimeter of the course, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said during a news briefing. The weapon had a scope on it, and the former president was 300 to 500 yards away.

“With a rifle and a scope like that, that’s not a long distance,” Bradshaw said, praising the agent’s work. “The golf course is surrounded by shrubbery. When someone gets into the shrubbery, they’re pretty much out of sight.”

Rafael Barros, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Miami field office, said that agents opened fire and that it was unclear whether the man with the weapon was able to take a shot before fleeing. The golf course was locked down and the president was quickly whisked to safety before eventually being taken to his Palm Beach home after law enforcement determined there was no ongoing threat.

A witness saw a man running out of the shrubbery and jumping into a black Nissan, Bradshaw said. This person took a picture of the vehicle and the license plate, which law enforcement was able to use to quickly track it down in Martin County, north of Palm Beach County.

The man was taken into custody on northbound Interstate 95, Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder said in an earlier briefing. The northbound freeway was shut down and the vehicle the suspect was driving was cleared by a bomb-sniffing dog before officers took him into custody.

Describing the suspect as displaying no emotion and having a “flat affect,” Snyder said “he was not armed when we took him out of the car.”

The witness was flown up to the area and confirmed that the man taken into custody was the man he had seen running out of the shrubbery, Bradshaw said. Meanwhile, law enforcement at the golf course recovered an AK-47-style rifle with a scope, two backpacks with ceramic tile inside and a GoPro camera that could be used to record or stream an attack.

The former president told supporters he was not harmed.

“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!” Trump wrote in an email sent Sunday afternoon. “Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me. Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again. May God bless you.”

Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, said he spoke with the former president before the news broke publicly.

“I’m glad President Trump is safe,” Vance wrote on the social platform X. “... he was, amazingly, in good spirits. Still much we don’t know, but I’ll be hugging my kids extra tight tonight and saying a prayer of gratitude.”

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic rival in the November presidential contest, have been updated about the incident.

“I am deeply disturbed by the possible assassination attempt of former President Trump today. As we gather the facts, I will be clear: I condemn political violence,” Harris said in a statement. “We all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence. I am thankful that former President Trump is safe.”

Biden said he has directed officials in his administration to ensure than the Secret Service has the resources and capacity to safeguard Trump.

“I am relieved that the former President is unharmed,” the president said in a statement. “As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who challenged Trump in the 2024 GOP primary, said the state would be conducting its own investigation of the incident.

“The people deserve the truth about the would be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee,” DeSantis wrote on X.

The incident occurred roughly two months after Trump’s ear was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally — an incident that led to investigations into flaws in the former president’s security protection. His detail was increased after he was wounded, and also, as CNN reported in July, after national security officials learned about an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump.

In addition to traveling with more Secret Service protection, Trump now speaks at public rallies behind bulletproof glass. On Friday, when he held a news conference at his golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes, Secret Service agents were stationed on the greens with binoculars and long guns. But tee times were still available on the oceanfront course.

A police officer looks through a lens on a tripod on a golf course.

Trump already has greater protection than other former presidents such as Barack Obama and George W. Bush. But he is unique in that he appears in public far more frequently than other former presidents since he is once again seeking the White House, and his schedule is often public.

The last president killed by a sniper was John F. Kennedy in 1963, which led to a massive overhaul in how the nation’s leaders are protected. There are certain to be additional investigations into the second assassination attempt on the former president.

“The threat level is high,” Barros said. “We live in dangerous times.”

Although the Secret Service prevented a tragedy Sunday, questions are already being raised about how a person with a weapon was able to get so close to Trump.

Bradshaw noted that when a sitting president visits a golf course, the perimeter of the area would be closely monitored. With Trump, a bubble of Secret Service agents provides protection in front of and behind him on the golf course. He said he expects the level of security would increase the next time Trump plays the course, which is less than five miles from his residence at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach.

It’s unclear how the suspect knew Trump would be golfing at the course on Sunday. But he is a well-known frequent golfer, and his motorcade would provide an obvious signal to anyone trying to discern the former president’s movements.

Trump’s senior campaign advisors, Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, emailed their staff members, urging them to be vigilant.

“Today, for the second time in two months, an evil monster attempted to take the life of President Trump. Thankfully, no one was injured at the Golf Course,” they wrote. “President Trump and everyone accompanying him are safe thanks to the great work of the United States Secret Service.”

They thanked staffers for their fortitude and dedication and urged them to be observant, before predicting victory in November.

“As we enter the last 50 days of President Trump’s campaign, we must remember that we will only be able to Save America from those who seek to destroy it by working together as one team,” they wrote. “President Trump and Senator Vance expect the best from us, and we must perform every day.”

There was confusion in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s incident. Initial reports were that two people were shooting at each other, and the shooting was unrelated to the president. But that quickly changed as details emerged that a man was spotted with an assault-style weapon on the edge of the golf course and that the Secret Service opened fire.

Sean Hannity said on Fox News that he had been invited to golf with Trump and developer Steven Witkoff, a major Trump donor, on Sunday but the Fox host declined, saying he was working. Trump was on the fifth hole and about to putt when the incident occurred, according to Hannity.

Hannity said he spoke with Trump’s son Eric after the incident.

“One thing Eric Trump said to me is — actually, and he was kind of choked up when he said it to me — ‘My father is running out of lives here. How many more rifles are going to be within assassination distance of my father?’ And he said it with great passion and love,” Hannity said.

Times staff writers James Rainey, Laura J. Nelson and Richard Winton contributed to this report.