Former President Donald J. Trump was unharmed after multiple gunshots were fired near his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, Reuters reported, quoting two sources briefed on the incident.
The shots were reportedly fired from outside the fence line of the course, the sources said as quoted by Reuters. Earlier in the day, Trump’s campaign had confirmed that he was safe following gunfire in his vicinity but did not provide further details.
The Associated Press reported that U.S. Secret Service agents had opened fire after spotting an individual with a firearm near Trump’s club. No injuries were reported, according to two unnamed law enforcement sources cited by the news agency.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the details but noted that the suspect fled the scene in an SUV and was later apprehended in a neighboring county. CNN quoted Martin County Sheriff William Snyder, who confirmed that his agency had taken the suspect into custody on behalf of Palm Beach County officials.
The Secret Service is investigating the incident, which occurred shortly before 2 p.m. local time (1800 GMT).
In an email to his supporters, Trump reassured them of his safety. “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” read the message, which was seen by Reuters.
This incident comes after an assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania on July 13, in which the former president was injured. That attack has raised concerns over the security measures for presidential candidates just months ahead of the November 5 election, where Trump is expected to face Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
In a statement, the White House said that President Biden and Vice President Harris had been briefed on the West Palm Beach shooting and were relieved to learn that Trump was unharmed. “Violence has no place in America,” Harris said in a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Reuters was unable to immediately confirm further details of the shooting. However, The Washington Post reported that Trump had been on the golf course at the time of the incident and was taken to a secure room by Secret Service agents. Two people familiar with the matter told the newspaper that Trump was briefly detained in a holding room.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Palm Beach police said they would hold a briefing on the incident at 4:30 p.m. local time.
The assassination attempt in Pennsylvania marked the first shooting of a U.S. president or major party candidate in over four decades. That attack, which left Trump with a graze to his right ear and resulted in the death of a rallygoer, led to the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle under bipartisan pressure from Congress. The gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, was killed by a Secret Service sniper.
In August, the new acting director of the Secret Service said he was “ashamed” of the security lapses that allowed the assassination attempt to occur.
