"Secret Service Response to Alleged Second Assassination Attempt on Trump"




A group of U.S. Secret Service agents swiftly intervened to prevent what appears to be a second assassination attempt on Donald Trump while he was playing golf on Sunday. Agents opened fire on a suspect after spotting the muzzle of a rifle emerging from shrubbery near a chain-link fence at the perimeter of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, around 1:30 p.m.

According to law enforcement, Trump was unharmed and was approximately 300 to 500 feet away from the suspect when the agents responded. The suspect managed to escape, but the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office reported that agents recovered a rifle equipped with a telescopic sight, two backpacks containing ceramic tiles, and a GoPro camera at the scene during a press conference on Sunday.

The suspect was apprehended shortly after the incident in a black Nissan SUV on Interstate 95, approximately 45 miles north of the golf course. He was identified as 58-year-old Ryan Routh, previously from Hawaii and North Carolina.

On Monday, Routh was charged in federal court with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Phone records later revealed that he had been in the area for nearly 12 hours, from 1:59 a.m. to 1:31 p.m. on Sunday.

Sunday’s incident comes more than two months after a gunman shot at Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Trump’s ear was bloodied. One man died and two others were injured. A Secret Service sniper killed the shooter.

Trump's golf outing on Sunday was called an "off the record movement," one not scheduled or publicized, the Secret Service acting director Ronald Rowe said in an afternoon news conference on Monday.

Large spaces like outdoor rallies and golf courses – both favored by Trump – make Secret Service protection difficult. Golf courses, with large, wide-open areas containing trees, shrubs, or other items that limit visibility, have unique challenges. They are usually bordered by roads or public lands.

When Trump plays golf, he moves within a protective perimeter of Secret Service agents who monitor the course. This "bubble" extends three to five holes ahead and behind him, with agents discreetly using advanced technology to detect any potential threats, according to USA TODAY.

While maintaining security, agents also aim to minimize disruption to other golfers on the course. To blend in, they often wear golf attire and travel in golf carts positioned ahead of and behind Trump as he plays, CNN reports. Agents stationed further ahead carefully scan the grounds and surroundings as Trump progresses through the course.