𝔽𝔹𝕀 𝕚𝕟𝕧𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕘𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤 '𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕓𝕖 𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟' 𝕠𝕗 𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡

𝔸 𝕞𝕒𝕟 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕒𝕟 𝔸𝕂-𝕤𝕥𝕪𝕝𝕖 𝕣𝕚𝕗𝕝𝕖 𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕞'𝕤 𝕞𝕦𝕫𝕫𝕝𝕖 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕠 𝔻𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕕 𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡'𝕤 𝕘𝕠𝕝𝕗 𝕔𝕝𝕦𝕓 𝕚𝕟 𝕎𝕖𝕤𝕥 ℙ𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝔹𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙, 𝔽𝕝𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕒, 𝕒𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕖𝕣 𝕌𝕊 𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒 𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕, 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕥 𝕊𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕟 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖, 𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕝𝕒𝕨 𝕖𝕟𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕔𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕠𝕗𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕤.

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he former president is safe and unharmed, and the FBI says it is investigating "what appears to be an attempted assassination" of the Republican presidential candidate.

The person dropped the weapon and fled in an SUV, and was later taken into custody in a neighbouring county, the officials said. The officials were not authorised to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

An AK-style firearm was recovered at the scene near Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach, two of the officials said. And no injuries were reported.

The incident was the latest jarring moment in a campaign year marked by unprecedented upheaval. It occurred roughly two months after Trump was shot at during an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, and a bullet grazed his ear. Only a week later, President Joe Biden withdrew from the race.

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The golf course was partially shut down for Trump as he played, and agents were a few holes ahead of him when they noticed the person with the firearm, the officials said. There are several areas around the perimeter of the property where golfers are visible from the fence line. Secret Service agents and officers in golf carts and on ATVs generally secure the area several holes ahead and behind Trump when he golfs. Agents also usually bring an armoured vehicle onto the course to quickly shelter Trump should a threat arise.

Trump had returned to Florida this weekend from a West Coast swing that included a rally in Las Vegas and a Utah fundraiser. He often spends the morning playing golf before having lunch at the club, one of three he owns in the state.

The former president has had a stepped-up security footprint since the assassination attempt in July. When he was at the Trump Tower in New York, a lineup of dump trucks was parked on a wall outside the building. And at outdoor rallies, he now speaks from behind an enclosure of bulletproof glass.

Trump was returned safely after the incident to his private Mar-a-Lago club, where he resides in neighbouring Palm Beach, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The White House said 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 Trump is safe.

I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America.

— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) September 15, 2024

Harris, in a statement, said she was “glad” Trump was safe, adding that “violence has no place in America".

In an X post, Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Trump’s top congressional allies, said he had spoken with Trump after the incident and that Trump was in “good spirits” and was “one of the strongest people I’ve ever known".

Martin County Sheriff William D Snyder said the suspect was apprehended within minutes of the FBI, Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office putting out a “very urgent BOLO” — or “be on the lookout” alert detailing the specific vehicle sought, license plate number and occupant description.

Snyder said his deputies “immediately flooded” northbound I-95, deploying to every exit between the Palm Beach County line to the south and St Lucie County line to the north.

“One of my road patrol units saw the vehicle, matched the tag and we set upon the vehicle,” Snyder said. “We pinch in on the car, got it safely stopped and got the driver in custody.”

Snyder told WPTV that the suspect "was not armed when we took him out of the car".

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Snyder said the man had a calm, flat demeanour and showed little emotion when he was stopped by police. The suspect did not question why he was being pulled over.

“He never asked, ‘what is this about?’ Obviously, law enforcement with long rifles, blue lights, a lot going on. He never questioned it,” Snyder said.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has been briefed on the situation and is receiving regular updates about it, a Justice Department spokeswoman said.

The post by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office indicated the suspect was apprehended near Palm City, Florida, about a 45-mile drive north of Trump’s golf course. Northbound lanes of I-95 were shut down, the sheriff’s office said.

A message sent to campaign officials seeking information on the security status and location of Ohio Senator JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, was not immediately returned.

Max Egusquiza, of Palm Beach, described the emergency response outside 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.

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