UPDATE: Trump is safe after ‘apparent assassination attempt’ at his Florida golf club, FBI says

Originally published at 1:52 p.m. on 9/15/24

Updated at 5:16 p.m. on 9/15/24

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI said Donald Trump was the target of “what appears to be an attempted assassination” at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, just nine weeks after the Republican presidential nominee survived another attempt on his life. The former president said he was safe and well.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the U.S. Secret Service agents fired at a man pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope as Trump was on the course. Bradshaw said the gunman also had two backpacks hanging on a fence and a GoPro camera, and that he was about 400 yards to 500 yards away from Trump and hiding in shrubbery while the former president played golf on a nearby hole. The person dropped the weapon and fled in an SUV, and was later taken into custody in a neighboring county.

The man who authorities say pointed a rifle with a scope into former President Donald Trump’s golf club and was arrested is Ryan Wesley Routh, three law enforcement officials told The Associated Press.

The law enforcement officials identified the suspect to The AP but spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

Fox News host Sean Hannity, a close friend of the former president, said on air that he spoke with both Trump and his golf partner, Steve Witkoff, after the incident.

They told Hannity that they had been on the fifth hole and about to go up to putt when they heard a “pop, pop, pop, pop.” Within seconds, he said Witkoff recounted, U.S. Secret Service agents “pounced on” Trump and “covered him” to protect him.

Moments later, he said a “fast cart” with steel reinforcement and other protection was able to whisk Trump away.

Hannity said Trump’s reaction after this happened — and when it was clear everyone, including Witkoff, was safe — was to quip that he was sad he hadn’t been able to finish the hole since he “was even and had a birdie putt.”

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the entire golf course would have been lined with law enforcement if Trump was the sitting president, but because he’s not, “security is limited to the areas that the areas that the Secret Service deems possible.”

“I would imagine that the next time he comes to the golf course, there will probably be a little more people around the perimeter, Bradshaw said. “But the Secret Service did exactly what they should have done, they provided exactly what the protection should have been and their agent did a fantastic job.”

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.

Trump’s protective detail has been higher than some of his peers because of his high visibility and his campaign to seek the White House again. His security was bolstered days before the July assassination attempt in Pennsylvania because of a threat on Trump’s life from Iran, U.S. officials said.