In July, an assassination attempt on Donald Trump shocked everyone. Just two months later, the Republican’s bodyguards may have foiled another attack.
Initially, Donald Trump’s campaign team reported shots being fired “near” the former US president – then the FBI spoke out: The US federal police believe that this was an attempted assassination of the current Republican presidential candidate. The 78-year-old was unharmed in the incident at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, and a suspect was arrested. Many questions remain unanswered.
What we know about the shooting of Donald Trump
The incident: Trump was playing golf at his club in West Palm Beach on Sunday afternoon when a Secret Service bodyguard saw a rifle barrel protruding from the bush-lined fence of the golf course. Shots were fired as a result. “We are not sure at this point whether the individual was capable of shooting at our agents. But our agents were certainly capable of attacking the individual,” a Secret Service representative said at a press conference.
The escape: According to police, the suspect fled in a car. However, a witness saw him and was able to help police identify the car and the man. The suspect was arrested a short time later on a highway near the crime scene, said Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.
The crime scene: Trump’s golf club is surrounded by a fence, with meter-high bushes and trees in front of it. The police cordoned off an area directly next to a road – presumably the place where the man had positioned himself. According to the police, he left an AK-47 assault rifle with a telescopic sight there. The security forces also found two backpacks and a compact camera.
The suspect: So far, the police have not made the man’s identity public. US media reports, citing police sources, that he is a 58-year-old man who works as a self-employed building contractor in the US state of Hawaii.
What we don’t know
The motive: The investigators initially made no official statements about the suspect or his motives. However, US media reported that the man had often made political statements on social networks and above all supported Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia – whose most important ally is in turn the US government under President Joe Biden. He had tried to recruit foreigners to fight in Ukraine. It is completely unclear whether this had anything to do with what happened on the golf course. According to CNN, the man also made critical comments online about Trump, who always claims that he can end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours.
The procedure: As a presidential candidate, Trump does not have a public schedule like incumbent President Joe Biden. It is therefore unclear how the suspect knew that Trump would be at his golf club that day, if he was actually targeting the politician. Trump played golf with real estate investor and party donor Steve Witkoff on Sunday afternoon. US journalists noted that it was impossible for local residents to miss Trump driving his motorcade from his Mar-a-Lago estate, just a few kilometers away, to West Palm Beach.
The danger: According to police, the suspect was only a few hundred meters away from Trump. It is unclear how a gunman was able to get so close to him again after the assassination attempt on the Republican two months ago in Pennsylvania. What is clear, however, is that a presidential candidate and former president enjoys less Secret Service protection than an incumbent president.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
