American authorities have released the name of the suspect; Internet history shows that he had been trying to recruit soldiers to fight in Ukraine against Russia.
U.S. authorities say the gunman who allegedly invaded the golf course where former U.S. President Donald Trump played is Ryan Wesley Routh, a pro-Ukrainian activist in his 50s.
The FBI, the US federal police force, says it is investigating “an apparent assassination attempt” against Trump.
U.S. Secret Service agents spotted the man with an AK-47 rifle in bushes on the golf course. He then fled in a car, but was arrested about 38 miles away. Trump was not harmed and said “it was a very interesting day.”
In an email to supporters, Trump said he was “safe and well.” “Nothing will stop me,” he wrote. “I will never give up!”
The BBC checked social media profiles with the same name as the suspect. One called for international fighters to travel to Ukraine to join the war against Russia.
Routh, who had no military experience, gave an interview to The New York Times last year. He said he went to Ukraine soon after the 2022 Russian invasion to recruit Afghan soldiers who had fled the Taliban.
“Soldiers, please don’t call me. We are still trying to convince Ukraine to accept Afghan soldiers and hope to get some answers in the coming months… please be patient,” he wrote on Facebook in July.
Some reports suggest that Routh has a criminal record. According to sources cited by CBS television network, he has been charged and convicted of several crimes, including carrying a concealed weapon.
Routh’s son, Oran, gave an interview to the American press, calling him a “loving and caring father”.
The accident
Donald Trump played golf on a sunny Sunday afternoon (9/15) in West Palm Beach, Florida, at 1:30 p.m. local time (2:30 p.m. in Brasilia).
A Secret Service agent patrolling the camp a short distance from the president noticed something suspicious in the bushes.
“He could see the barrel of a shotgun sticking out of a fence,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters.
Secret Service “confronted the individual,” according to Bradshaw, but the suspect fled.
Authorities said the man — later identified as Routh — managed to escape using his car. He was spotted by a witness, who managed to photograph the black Nissan used in the getaway.
An urgent search alert was issued, and moments later, the vehicle was located. It was on a road in Martin County, about a 45-minute drive from Trump’s golf course. The suspect was arrested.
Sheriff William Snyder said the suspect was calm and showed little emotion.
It has not yet been revealed whether the gunman fired the rifle at the Secret Service agents or at Trump, who was 300 to 1,500 feet away from the shooter. The agents shot the suspect.
“We are unsure at this time if the individual was able to shoot our officers, but our officers were certainly able to engage the suspect,” said Rafael Barros of the Secret Service’s Miami office.
Kamala: “I’m glad he’s safe”
The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had been informed of the incident.
“The President and Vice President have been informed of the security incident at Trump International Golf Course, where former President Trump was golfing. They are relieved to know he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team,” the statement said.
Kamala Harris, who is running against Trump in the presidential election, commented on the incident and said that “violence has no place in America.”
On X, she wrote: “I have been made aware of reports of shots fired near former President Trump and his Florida estate, and I am glad he is safe.”
This Sunday’s case comes two months after a gunman attempted to assassinate Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, by shooting off his ear.
At the time, Trump was injured when Thomas Matthew Crooks shot him with an AR-15-style rifle from the roof of a nearby building during a speech to the public.
A Trump supporter was killed in the shooting, while Crooks, 20, was killed on the scene by a Secret Service sniper.
The Secret Service has faced intense scrutiny over how the assassin was able to open fire on the former president. The agency’s director, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned two weeks after the incident.
Source: Terra
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