Second ‘Assassination Attempt’ on Donald Trump in less than two months

Voice of America: Washington — Donald Trump former US president, running for the second term, walked away from an assassination attempt – the latest, on Sunday afternoon, at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, authorities said. He had 1st assassination attempt almost nine weeks before.

Officials said that Donald Trump is safe and was not hurt and that the shooter was spotted and fired on first by members of Trump’s security detail.

Various national media sources, including The Associated Press, The New York Times, and Fox News Channel, cited unnamed law enforcement officials identifying the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii. Those officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

Unlike the previous attempt, this one did not happen on live television, like the dramatic shooting Trump survived on July 13. That attempt wounded Trump in the ear and killed a man attending the rally behind Trump. Days later, Trump accepted the Republican party’s presidential nomination.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is leading the case, has described it as “what appears to be an attempted assassination.” That makes this the agency’s second ongoing investigation into an attempt on Trump’s life.

The local sheriff said the suspect fled, leaving behind an “AK-47-style rifle” with a scope, a GoPro camera and two backpacks. Police later caught him as he sped on the main highway into a neighboring county.

“The Secret Service agent that was on the course did a fantastic job,” said Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, in a briefing held by law enforcement shortly after. “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.”

In a joint statement sent out to journalists less than an hour after the Trump campaign announced this latest attempt on Trump’s life, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris said they were being regularly briefed and said they are “relieved” that he is safe.

“The president and vice president have been briefed about the security incident at the Trump International Golf Course, where former President Trump was golfing,” their statement read. “They are relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team.”

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