September 30, 2024

Donald Trump has been the target of what appears to be yet another planned assassination attempt while golfing at his club in South Florida.

Two months earlier, he was shot in the ear during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

Here’s everything we know so far about what happened, how the former president and Republican nominee is faring and who the accused shooter is.

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What happened?

Trump was moving between holes five and six while golfing with donor Steve Witkoff at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach about 1.30pm local time when a number of shots erupted.

Secret Service agents engaged with a man after spotting a rifle aiming through the fence, about 245 to 460 metres away from Trump.

The accused shooter was seen fleeing the scene in a black Nissan, leaving behind an AK-47 rifle with a scope, two backpacks and a GoPro camera at his hideaway.

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Authorities issued a ”very urgent (be on the lookout)” warning, with officers flooding the Interstate 95 and closing a large part of the highway.

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said the car was spotted and safely stopped.

A man behind the wheel was taken into custody — just minutes after the shooting.

The FBI confirmed it’s investigating “what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump”.

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How is Donald Trump? 

Trump has confirmed he is safe and well.

He was uninjured during the second attempt on his life and is reportedly back at his Mar-a-Lago resort — which is about 7kms away from the golf club.

In an email to supporters, he promised not let the shooting slow him down.

”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!,” he wrote.

“Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!”

His running mate in this year’s presidential election, JD Vance, said he spoke to Trump who is “amazingly, in good spirits”.

No one else was reported injured.

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Who is the shooter?

The accused shooter was arrested without incident and is being questioned by the FBI.

Law enforcement sources have identified him as Ryan Wesley Routh.

His son, Oran Routh, said his father is loving, caring and hardworking.

“Ryan is my father, and I don’t have any comment beyond a character profile of him as a loving and caring father, and honest, hardworking man,” he said.

“I don’t know what’s happened in Florida, and I hope things have just been blown out of proportion, because from the little I’ve heard, it doesn’t sound like the man I know to do anything crazy, much less violent.

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“He’s a good father, and a great man, and I hope you can portray him in an honest light.”

Routh had tried to recruit Afghan soldiers fleeing the Taliban to fight in Ukraine, according to an interview last year with The New York Times.

He had a calm demeanor and showed little emotion when he was arrested, Snyder said.

“He never asked, ‘what is this about?’ Obviously, law enforcement with long rifles, blue lights, a lot going on. He never questioned it,” he said.

Routh has not yet been charged. 

— With Associated Press, CNN

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