Secret Service fires at man with gun near Trump on golf course; FBI investigating incident as apparent assassination attempt
Former President Donald Trump is "safe and unharmed" after Secret Service agents engaged with a suspect pointing a high-powered rifle at the Florida golf course where Trump was golfing Sunday afternoon, officials said. The suspect fled but was later taken into custody. The FBI and U.S. Secret Service are investigating the incident, which the FBI said "appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump."
"President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity," Steven Cheung, Trump campaign communications director, said in a brief initial statement.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that members of Trump's U.S. Secret Service detail opened fire at the armed suspect after spotting him on the edge of the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, a few holes ahead of where the president was golfing.
Secret Service officials initially said it was not clear if the suspect fired any shots; on Monday, they confirmed he did not fire and said he did not have a line of sight to the former president.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said in a briefing that Trump was about 300-500 yards away from the man with the gun.
"Secret Service did exactly what they should have done, and their agent did a fantastic job," Bradshaw said.
The suspect has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, age 58. He was charged Monday with two firearm offenses in federal court in West Palm Beach. Routh has had previous encounters with law enforcement, according to court documents.
Officials said no motive has been determined at this time.
Officials say rifle, scope, GoPro camera recovered
Sheriff Bradshaw said Palm Beach County Police received a call from U.S. Secret Service at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday that shots had been fired. Units immediately moved to seal off the area, and Bradshaw said a witness saw a man jumping out of the bushes and fleeing in a black Nissan. The witness took a photo of the license plate number, and the car was spotted traveling north on I-95 toward Martin County, about 50 miles away, where the driver was pulled over and detained. Bradshaw said the witness then identified the individual as the man seen in the bushes.
Law enforcement found an AK47-style rifle with a scope, two backpacks with ceramic tile and a GoPro camera in the bushes at the scene, Bradshaw said. Photos of the weapon and the backpack were displayed at the briefing. (In an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint Monday, an FBI special agent described the weapon as "a loaded SKS-style, 7.62x39 caliber rifle with a scope.")
In an earlier statement, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi also said U.S.S.S. was working with local authorities in the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office on the investigation.
Trump was expected to meet Monday with the acting director of the Secret Service, sources familiar with the meeting confirmed to CBS News.
Suspect criticized Trump on social media
CBS News has identified several social media profiles that appear to be connected to the suspect. Routh made no threats in his posts, but he did post frequently about politics. He voted Democratic in the 2024 primary election in North Carolina, according to the state board of elections, and appears to be registered as an unaffiliated voter.
His X account, which has now been suspended, included a number of posts about Trump.
"@realDonaldTrump While you were my choice in 2106, I and the world hoped that president Trump would be different and better than the candidate, but we all were greatly disappointment and it seems you are getting worse and devolving," he wrote in one post in June 2020. "I will be glad when you gone."
He also referenced the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump in multiple posts, suggesting that President Biden and Vice President Harris should visit the injured and attend the funeral of the Pennsylvania rally-goer who was killed.
A Facebook account under the suspect's name was no longer online on Sunday evening.
He also posted multiple times about the ongoing war in Ukraine, in one post writing, "I am willing to go and fight and DIE to beat Putin." He was interviewed by several news organizations, including The New York Times and Semafor in 2023 and Newsweek Romania in 2022, talking about trying to recruit volunteer fighters to aid Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion, though it wasn't clear whether his efforts had succeeded. "This is about good versus evil," he told Newsweek Romania. In one post on LinkedIn, he shared a photo of himself in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital.
The LinkedIn account indicates that Routh lived in Hawaii and owned Camp Box Honolulu, a shed-building company. The account also says that he studied at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and graduated in 1998. He appears to have spent most of his life in North Carolina, according to property records.
Routh's troubles with the law go back to the 1990s, according to court records. A law enforcement source told CBS News that Routh was charged and convicted of numerous offenses in Guilford County, North Carolina, between 2002 and 2010. In 2002, he was charged with possession of a weapon of mass destruction, a felony, according to North Carolina Department of Corrections records. In another incident, he was charged with misdemeanors, including a hit-and-run offense and resisting arrest.
Trump, White House and other leaders respond
According to several people who have spoken with the former president, Trump is in good spirits this evening and has recounted what happened to multiple friends, family members, and advisers. He praised the Secret Service and thanked them for their response. He has also been joking that he wishes he could have finished his round of golf. He has told others he is determined to keep on campaigning this week.
Trump shared a message about the incident in a fundraising email and said he is safe.
"There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL," Trump said.
Later Sunday night, Trump wrote on social media, "Most importantly, I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and his Office of brave and dedicated Patriots, and, all of Law Enforcement, for the incredible job done today at Trump International in keeping me, as the 45th President of the United States, and the Republican Nominee in the upcoming Presidential Election, SAFE."
Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, said on social media that he spoke to the former president before the news of the incident was made public. He said Trump "was, amazingly, in good spirits" during their conversation.
"Still much we don't know, but I'll be hugging my kids extra tight tonight and saying a prayer of gratitude," Vance wrote on X.
I'm glad President Trump is safe. I spoke to him before the news was public and he was, amazingly, in good spirits.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) September 15, 2024
Still much we don't know, but I'll be hugging my kids extra tight tonight and saying a prayer of gratitude.
The White House said President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed on the incident on Sunday afternoon.
"They are relieved to know that [Trump] is safe," the White House said in a statement. "They will be kept regularly updated by their team."
President Biden said in a later statement, "As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country, and I have directed my team to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President's continued safety."
In a separate post on X, Harris reiterated, "I am glad he [Trump] is safe. Violence has no place in America."
"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 said in a longer statement Sunday night. "...I commend the U.S. Secret Service and law enforcement partners for their vigilance."
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and close ally of the former president, said in a post on X that he had spoken with Trump, who is "in good spirits and he is more resolved than ever to save our country."
"He is one of the strongest people I've ever known," Graham added.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said on social media that he and his wife just spent a few hours with Trump at Mar-a-Lago "and are thanking God for protecting him today."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell wrote, "Very grateful President Trump is safe after another attempted assassination attempt. There is no place for political violence in our country, and those responsible for it must be held to account. I hope and expect USSS and the FBI will conduct a thorough, swift, and transparent investigation."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who ran against Trump in this year's Republican primaries, said the state "will be conducting its own investigation" into the incident.
"The people deserve the truth about the would be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee," he wrote on X.
The incident comes two months after an assassination attempt against the former president during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was grazed in the ear. One attendee at the July 13 rally was killed and two others were wounded.