For the second time in just over two months, federal officials say, a man armed with a rifle attempted to assassinate Donald Trump. A Secret Service agent spotted a man with a gun at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Fla., yesterday and fired at him before the man could hit anyone. Trump was unharmed, and the police arrested a suspect.
In today’s newsletter, we’ll share what we know about the episode and the suspect.
In the bushes
Trump was golfing at his club in West Palm Beach yesterday afternoon with a few staff members and a longtime friend. A Secret Service agent traveling ahead of Trump noticed the barrel of a rifle sticking through a fence along the course. The agent quickly fired shots toward the gunman, the Palm Beach County sheriff said.
The gunman fled, and it’s not clear whether he fired any shots. He left behind an AK-style rifle with a scope; two backpacks filled with ceramic tile, which he had hung on a fence; and a video camera.
A witness’s photo allowed the police to track the suspect as he drove up Interstate 95, and he was arrested a short time later. A law enforcement source identified him as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii.