Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump remained unharmed on Sunday after the FBI thwarted a suspected assassination attempt while he was golfing at his West Palm Beach course in Florida.
Law enforcement officials reported that secret service agents identified and opened fire on an armed individual hiding in the bushes near the perimeter of the golf course, just a few hundred yards from where Trump was playing.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (AP)
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The suspect abandoned an AK-47-style assault rifle and other belongings including two backpacks and a GoPro camera at the spot before fleeing in a vehicle but was apprehended shortly afterward.
He has been reportedly identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii.
On his social media profiles on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn, Reuters reported that he was a strong supporter of Ukraine in its war with Russia. Some posts suggested he was helping to recruit soldiers for Ukraine's fight.
The recent attempt on Trump's life comes just two months after he was targeted at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, where he suffered a minor injury to his right ear.
These incidents highlight the difficulties in ensuring the safety of presidential candidates in an increasingly polarized political environment, especially with just over seven weeks remaining until the November 5 election.
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It remains unclear if or how the suspect knew that Trump was golfing at the time. However, the attempted attack is likely to spark fresh concerns about the adequacy of the security measures in place to protect him.
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It remains unclear if or how the suspect knew that Trump was golfing at the time. However, the attempted attack is likely to spark fresh concerns about the adequacy of the security measures in place to protect him.
The suspect has attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and later moved to Hawaii around 2018, according to reports. The 58-year-old was allegedly supporting Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley in the upcoming elections before they decided to drop out, as per one of his posts.
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Routh is famous for often complaining about politicians, like Putin, Trump and President Joe Biden, and celebrities like Bruno Mars.
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Home/World News/Donald Trump’s ‘attacker’ Ryan Wesley Routh left behind a GoPro camera: Report
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