He is alive and well. In a statement, Donald Trump confirmed what his campaign team had already announced earlier in the day: the Republican candidate for the American presidential election is “safe and sound” after shots “near him”, two months after the assassination attempt that targeted him during a meeting.
“There were gunshots nearbythe former president wrote in turn – writing certain words in capital letters – but before the rumors start to get out of hand, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND HEALTHY! Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER surrender!”
Quoted by the Washington Post, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the incident happened shortly before 2 p.m. at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. The shooting occurred on the golf course as the former president was enjoying one of his favorite activities. Secret Service agents heard gunshots, according to two witnesses cited by the Washington Post. They took Donald Trump to safety in a waiting room at the club.
An AK-47 rifle with a telescopic sight, two backpacks filled with ceramic tiles and a GoPro camera were found in the bushes where a suspect was spotted, law enforcement officials said at a news conference in the evening. “These items are being processed”Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said. The gunman spotted on the golf course was about 300 to 500 yards from the Republican candidate when he was arrested by authorities, he said. Asked by the network CNNMartin County Sheriff William Snyder previously said a male suspect had been taken into custody by authorities. Snyder said the suspect was in relatively calm condition.
A dangerous game for Donald Trump
It is not yet clear whether the 78-year-old former US president was the target of the shooting. According to initial reports in the local press, it could also have been a dispute between two people near Mr Trump’s golf club. But the FBI investigating the shooting said it was a “attempted assassination” alleged targeting former President Trump. If true, it would be the second time in just over two months that someone has tried to kill the former president.
The Washington Post specifies that “The Secret Service has long been concerned about Mr. Trump’s vulnerability at his golf courses, which remain open to the public and are often located near high-traffic areas.”
The White House alerted
According to a statement from the White House, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris “have been informed of the security incident at the Trump International Golf Course (in Florida), where the former president was practicing. They are relieved to learn that he is safe and sound. They will be kept regularly informed by their teams.” “Violence has no place in America”insisted Kamala Harris in a message on X.
Ear injury
The incident comes after the former president was shot in the ear on July 13, killing one person and injuring two others at a rally in Pennsylvania, in the northeast of the country. Images of Donald Trump, blood running down his face and his fist raised, went around the world.
This security fiasco led to the resignation of the head of the Secret Service and the compulsory leave of at least five agents from this unit responsible for protecting the highest-ranking American officials.
A week later, on July 21, under pressure from his own Democratic camp after a disastrous debate against Donald Trump, President Biden, 81, had given up running again and given way to his vice president Harris. Since then, the campaign has taken a very acrimonious turn between the billionaire and Republican tribune and his 59-year-old rival, a former prosecutor and senator from California.
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