FBI investigating apparent assassination attempt of Donald Trump in Florida

CNA Newsroom, Sep 15, 2024 / 19:48 pm

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said on Sunday that it was investigating an apparent attempt on former President Donald Trump's life, the second such incident in roughly eight weeks.

"The FBI has responded to West Palm Beach, Florida, and is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump," the bureau said in a brief news release on Sunday.

Trump was reportedly playing golf at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach when shots were fired on the course. A Secret Service agent had reportedly spotted a gun barrel sticking out of a nearby fence and had engaged with a suspect.

It was unclear on Sunday evening if the suspect had fired any shots. The suspect reportedly attempted to flee the scene but was subsequently apprehended by police on Interstate 95.

Photos on Sunday showed law enforcement cordoning off an area near the golf course after the alleged attempted assassination.

Law enforcement personnel investigate the area around Trump International Golf Club after an apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on September 15, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Image

The former president said in an email to his fundraising list shortly after the incident that he was "safe and well."

"My resolve is only stronger after another attempt on my life," he said in a second email on Sunday evening.

Law enforcement reportedly found a rifle with a scope attachment at the scene of the incident on Sunday.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who is currently running against Trump in the 2024 presidential contest, said on Twitter on Sunday that she had 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," Harris added.