Former President Donald Trump is safe following an apparent assassination attempt at his Florida golf course on Sunday afternoon. US authorities have confirmed that a “potential suspect” is in custody.
Secret Service agents detected the barrel of a rifle protruding from some bushes and fired at the suspect, officials reported.
The FBI stated that Trump was between 300 and 500 yards (275 to 455 meters) away at the time of the incident.
A witness observed the suspect, identified by US media as Ryan Routh, emerging from the bushes and fleeing in a black Nissan after the agents fired at him multiple times.
At the scene, an AK47-style firearm with a scope, two backpacks, and a GoPro camera were later recovered.
The witness photographed the vehicle and its license plate, leading to its subsequent interception in Martin County, north of the golf club.
“We got a hold of Martin County Sheriff’s Office, alerted them, and they spotted the vehicle and pulled it over and detained the guy,” said Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of Palm Beach County.
“After that, we took the witness that witnessed the incident, flew him up there and he identified as the person that he saw running out of the bushes, that jumped into the car,” the sheriff told a news briefing.
It is unclear whether or not the gunman fired at either the former president or the agents.
“We are not sure right now if the individual was able to take a shot at our agents, but for sure our agents were able to engage with the suspect,” said Rafael Barros from the Secret Service Miami Field Office.
In an email to his supporters, Trump said he was “safe and well”.
“Nothing will slow me down,” he wrote. “I will never surrender!”
The incident occurs almost exactly two months after a gunman attempted to assassinate Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the attacker struck his ear.
The Secret Service confirmed on X that they were investigating a “protective incident” involving Trump, which took place shortly before 2:00 PM EDT (7:00 PM BST) on Sunday.
Later, Sheriff Bradshaw praised the Secret Service agent on the course, stating that he “did a fantastic job.”
He added: “What they do is they have an agent that jumps one hole ahead of time to where the president was at and he was able to spot this rifle barrel sticking out of the fence and immediately engage that individual, at which time the individual took off.”
There is now a heavy security presence on the roads and in the waters around the former president’s Mar-a-Lago property in Florida, as well as his nearby golf course at West Palm Beach.
US media, including the BBC’s US partner CBS, have named the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii.
This is yet to be officially confirmed by law enforcement and is expected to be addressed in a news conference on Monday.
BBC Verify has found social media profiles matching that name. They indicate that Mr Routh called for foreign fighters to go to Ukraine to battle against Russian forces.
Mr Routh was charged and convicted of numerous offences in Guilford County, North Carolina, between 2002 and 2010, according to a law enforcement source who spoke to CBS News.
The offences included carrying a concealed weapon, resisting arrest, hit and run in a motor vehicle, driving with a revoked licence and possession of stolen property.
The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris had been briefed about the golf course incident.
“I am relieved that the former president is unharmed,” Biden said in a statement.
Harris is in a tight race against Trump in the presidential election – the 5 November vote is expected to hang on the results in a few key swing states.
Harris issued a statement saying: “I am deeply disturbed by the possible assassination attempt of former President Trump today.
“As we gather the facts, I will be clear: I condemn political violence. We all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence.”
She also said: “I am thankful that former President Trump is safe” and praised the US Secret Service and police “for their vigilance”.
Trump was injured while speaking to a crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 when gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks fired at him with an AR-15-style rifle from the roof of a nearby building.
The shooting resulted in one audience member’s death, and Crooks, 20, was killed at the scene by a Secret Service sniper.
The Secret Service faced significant scrutiny over how the shooter from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, managed to target the former president.
Within two weeks of the incident, the director of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned.