Local and federal officials confirmed Sunday during a press briefing that the Secret Service fired upon an allegedly armed suspect in what is being investigated by FBI officials as a second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Trump’s campaign announced Sunday afternoon that the former president was “safe” after shots were fired in his vicinity while he was at the Trump International Golf Course West Palm Beach. The U.S. Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Department did not reveal the identity of the suspect, but confirmed that he had been in possession of an AK-47 and other concerning materials. (RELATED: Secret Service, Law Enforcement Investigating After Reports of Gunfire In Trump’s Vicinity)
“Fortunately, we were able to locate a witness that came to us and said, ‘Hey, I saw the guy running out of the bushes, he jumped into a black Nissan and I took a picture of the vehicle and the tag,’ which was great. So we had that information. Our real time crime center put it out to the license plate readers and we were able to get a hit on that vehicle on I-95, as it was headed into Martin County,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw stated.
“Now in the bushes, where this guy was, is an AK-47 style rifle with a scope. Two backpacks which were hung on the fence that had ceramic tile in them and a GoPro, which he was going to take pictures of,” Bradshaw continued.
Bradshaw confirmed officials had received reports of the incident around 1:30 p.m., noting that Trump had been on the golf course at the time. The local sheriff stated Secret Service agents proceeded ahead of Trump to each hole, which was how the suspect was spotted with “a rifle barrel sticking out of the fence and immediately engaged that individual.”
The local official additionally noted that the former president had been roughly 300 to 500 yards away from the potential shooter.
While authorities have not officially confirmed the shooter’s identity, law enforcement sources told FOX News the gunman’s name is Ryan Wesley Routh.
WATCH:
After Secret Service agents fired an estimated four to six shots, the gunman fled the scene and took off in a black Nissan that was later stopped by local authorities in Martin County, Florida on the I-95.
During an interview, Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder had told reporters that the driver was “relatively calm” and was “not displaying a lot of emotions,” according to Local 10.
The FBI confirmed their “lead role” in the investigation, with special agent Jeffrey Veltri stating the agency has “deployed a number of resources including the investigative teams, crisis response team members, bomb technicians and evidence response team members.” Prior to the press briefing the federal agency confirmed the case is being investigated as “what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump.”
WATCH:
A spokesman for the Secret Service told reporters that the investigation is ongoing, and noted that it is still unclear if the potential shooter was able to fire back at Secret Service agents. The Secret Service spokesman acknowledged that the “threat level is high,” considering this incident comes just two months after Trump was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt on July 13.
“The threat level is high. We have increased the amount of assets that we’ve supported, so we are — we live in danger times, yes,” the spokesman said.
WATCH:
Trump’s son, Eric Trump, posted to X (formerly known as Twitter) a statement from the former president confirming that he is “safe and well.”
“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! Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me. Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again,” Trump wrote.
The FBI did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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