A US Secret Service agent opened fire Sunday afternoon after spotting an AK-style rifle poking through a fence at former President Donald Trump’s Florida golf course in Palm Beach.
The suspect fled the scene in an SUV that was later stopped on Interstate 95 in Martin County, where the suspect was arrested, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said.
Trump was whisked away from the golf course and was not injured.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said it was notified of shots fired at about 1:30 p.m. Deputies located a witness who took a photograph of the suspect’s vehicle and license plate, and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office spotted the vehicle on Interstate 95.
Investigators found an AK-style rifle with a scope, two backpacks containing ceramic tile, and a GoPro camera hanging from a fence at Trump’s golf club.
Bradshaw said a Secret Service agent walking the course about a hole ahead of the ex-president spotted the rifle sticking out of the fence and immediately opened fire with four to six rounds. The suspect was several hundred yards from the ex-president.
Palm Beach County State’s Attorney Dave Aronberg said his office was working on warrants for the suspect’s arrest and that federal charges were also likely.
Investigators did not speculate on a motive for the potential gunman and did not know if the suspect got off a shot before he fled. The FBI said that it appeared to be a possible assassination attempt, according to The Associated Press.
Several news outlets named the suspect as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh.
