The FBI said on Sunday it was investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former US president Donald Trump and has responded to the scene at West Palm Beach, Florida.
In a statement, the FBI said: “The FBI has responded to West Palm Beach Florida and is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former president Trump.”
Earlier, law enforcement officials said US Secret Service agents opened fire after seeing a person with a firearm near former president Mr Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach.
The Republican presidential candidate is safe, his campaign team confirmed.
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The person fled in an SUV and was later apprehended in a nearby county by local law enforcement, the officials said.
The officials were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity about an ongoing investigation.
An AK-style firearm was recovered at the scene near Mr Trump’s golf course, one of the officials said.
The golf course was partially shut down for Mr Trump as he played, and agents were a few holes ahead of him when they noticed the person with the firearm, the officials said.
The person appeared to push the muzzle of the rifle through the fence line and that is when agents fired, the officials said
Mr Trump’s campaign and the secret service said he was safe, and the agency said it was investigating the incident that occurred shortly before 2pm local time.
The incident comes two months after Mr Trump was shot during an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, and a bullet grazed his ear.
Mr Trump had returned to Florida this weekend from a west coast tour that included a Friday night rally in Las Vegas and a Utah fundraiser.
No injuries were reported, according to a spokesperson for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
The White House said US president Joe Biden and vice-president Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, had both been briefed and would be kept updated on the investigation.
The White House added they were “relieved” to know Mr Trump is safe.
Ms Harris, in a statement said she was “glad” Mr Trump was safe, adding that “violence has no place in America”.
In an X post, senator Lindsey Graham, one of Mr Trump’s top congressional allies, said he had spoken with the former president after the incident and that he was in “good spirits” and was “one of the strongest people I’ve ever known”.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post on Sunday that it has stopped a vehicle on northbound Interstate-95 and taken a suspect into custody who is believed to be connected to the shooting.
The sheriff’s office said it made the stop after authorities in neighbouring Palm Beach County put out a “be on the lookout” alert.
The post by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office indicated the suspect was apprehended near Palm City, Florida, about a 70km-drive north of Mr Trump’s golf course. Northbound lanes of I-95 were shut down, the sheriff’s office said.
Attorney general Merrick Garland has been briefed on the situation and is receiving regular updates about it, a US justice department spokeswoman said.
Mr Trump often spends the morning playing golf, before having lunch at the Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach, one of three he owns in the state.
Mr Trump has had a stepped-up security footprint since the assassination attempt in July.
When he has been at Trump Tower in New York, a line-up of trucks have parked in a wall outside the building. And at outdoor rallies, he now speaks from behind an enclosure of bulletproof glass.
A message sent to campaign officials seeking information on the security status and location of JD Vance, Mr Trump’s running mate, was not immediately returned.
Max Egusquiza, of Palm Beach, described the emergency response outside Mr Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course.
“From what I saw five black unmarked SUVs blocked in a grey Mercedes in front of the golf course. There were about 20 or more cop cars flying from nearby streets,” he said. – Reuters/AP