Gunman ID'ed In Trump Assassination Attempt At FL Golf Club

WEST PALM BEACH, FL — Former President Donald Trump was the apparent target of an attempted assassination for the second time in a matter of months, authorities confirmed Sunday, saying a gunman pointed an AK-style rifle through the shrubbery surrounding one of Trump's Florida golf clubs.

“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!” the Republican presidential candidate said in an email to supporters.

“Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!” the former president said.

The man who authorities said pointed a gun with a scope into Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach and was arrested is Ryan Wesley Routh, three law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. Authorities are working to determine a motive.

The Associated Press said Routh was convicted in 2002 of possessing a weapon of mass destruction, according to online North Carolina Department of Adult Correction records. The records do not provide details about the case.

But a News & Record story from 2002 reported that a man with the same name was arrested after a three-hour standoff with police. The report said the man was pulled over during a traffic stop, put his hand on a gun and barricaded himself inside a roofing business.

Routh was charged in 2002 with carrying a concealed weapon and possessing a weapon of mass destruction, “referring to a fully automatic machine gun,” according to the News & Record.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state will independently investigate the apparent assassination attempt on Trump.

“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,” he posted on X.

Sunday's incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. at the West Palm Beach club, where Trump was golfing, according to authorities, who said the gunman was 500 feet or less from the former president.

Law enforcement was notified of shots fired after Secret Service who were at least one hole ahead of the former president saw a rifle barrel sticking through a fence surrounding the club and opened fire on the gunman, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, who spoke at a press conference live streamed by WFMY News 2.

Trump was taken to a holding room in the wake of the gunshots, The Washington Post reported, citing people briefed on the situation who requested to remain anonymous.

The area was immediately sealed off and a witness described seeing the would-be shooter run from the bushes and jump in a black Nissan, Bradshaw said, adding the witness provided license plate information that allowed authorities to find the vehicle on Interstate 95 in Martin County and detain the person. Warrants, charges and a motion for pretrial detention were pending Sunday, according to authorities.

“The public doesn’t need to panic," Bradshaw said. “It’s safe. There’s no more danger here.”

In the bushes, authorities found an AK-47-style rifle with a scope as well as two backpacks and a GoPro camera.

“Somebody gets into the shrubbery, they’re pretty much out of sight,” Bradshaw said, noting that because Trump is not the sitting president his security is limited to what's provided by the Secret Service. “The Secret Service did exactly what they should have done.”

Former presidents and their spouses have Secret Service protection for life, but the security posture around former presidents varies depending on threat levels and exposure, with the toughest typically being in the immediate aftermath of their leaving office.

No injuries were reported, a spokesperson for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said.

"What we need right now is for the public to avoid the area around the golf course," Jeffrey Veltri, special agent in charge of the FBI's Miami Field Office, said, noting the response to the incident included bomb technicians and crisis response authorities.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 1-800-225-5324 or visit tips.fbi.gov.

The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, had both been briefed and would be kept updated on the investigation. The White House added they are “relieved” to know Trump is safe.

In a post on X, Harris said she had been briefed, adding, “I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.”

"I'm glad President Trump is safe," Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, said in a post on X. "I spoke to him before the news was public and 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."

The incident occurred about two months after Trump was shot in the ear at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, by Thomas Matthew Crooks, whose bullets killed a 50-year-old man attending the event and seriously wounded two others.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.