Former President Donald Trump survived a second assassination attempt in two months during an incident at his West Palm Beach golf course on Sunday (September 15), the FBI confirmed in a statement to CNN.
A Secret Service agent reportedly opened fire on a man spotted with an AK-47 assault rifle while Trump was playing golf, which caused the suspect to flee. The man, identified only as being in his 50s believed to be from Hawaii, was detained by the West Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office after a traffic stop on I-95.
Trump confirmed that “there were gunshots in my vicinity” but noted that he was “SAFE AND WELL” in a campaign alert to his supporters on Sunday. A motive for the shooting hasn’t been determined but Secret Service said the suspect frequently shared pro-Ukraine and pro-Taiwan posts on social media, the New York Post reports.
Sources previously told the New York Post that two people exchanged gunfire and targeting each other, not Trump, outside Trump International Golf Course West Palm Beach and that the former president was reportedly never in danger at the club, which is located in an area known for a high crime rate. The incident took place two months after Trump was targeted in an assassination attempt during his rally in Pennsylvania.
Trump’s right ear was grazed during the shooting and he was seen yelling “fight” to his supporters while being evacuated from the rally by Secret Service members. One spectator, identified as Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed during the incident while two others, David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, and James Copenhaver, 74, were initially critically wounded but later upgraded to stable condition.
The shooter, Thomas Crooks, was taken out by Secret Service agents within seconds from opening fire, though also reported to be on officials’ radar as a suspicious person more than 90 minutes before opening fire. Trump officially accepted the Republican presidential nomination during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18.
Recent Comments