An alleged assassination attempt was made on September 15 on US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the city of West Palm Beach in the state of Florida. According to the former US President, he is unharmed and safe.
Circumstances of incident
– The shooting occurred near the golf club where the former president played golf.
– A US Secret Service agent responsible for protecting the nation’s top leaders, including presidential candidates and former heads of state, fired at a suspicious armed man who was near the club’s grounds.
– The suspect initially managed to escape by hiding in the bushes outside the golf club.
– The suspect was later apprehended by police and is now in custody.
– A Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK-47) with a telescopic sight, two backpacks with ceramic plates and an action camera were found where the suspect was hiding.
– According to Fox News, the alleged assailant slipped the barrel of the rifle through the fence of the golf club. At the same time he was at a distance of 270-450 meters from Trump.
Alleged attacker
– Fox News reported, citing sources, that the suspect’s name was Ryan Wesley Routh.
– Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (Republican) posted on her X page a photo of the alleged attacker, saying that he may be obsessed with the conflict in Ukraine.
– The New York Post reported that Routh traveled to Ukraine and supported the Kiev authorities.
– According to the newspaper, Routh tried to promote the idea of sending American veterans of the conflict in Afghanistan to Ukraine and also expressed a desire to fight on Kiev’s side. According to the MSN News outlet, Routh was also involved in fundraising for Ukraine.
– The media found a report on a Semafor news outlet in 2023, which introduced a man named Ryan Routh as “the head of the International Volunteer Center in Ukraine, a private organization which helps foreigners seeking to assist the war effort connect with military units and aid groups.” In an interview with the news outlet, Routh said he had met with representatives of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.
Possible assassination attempt
– The Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched an investigation, and is looking into what happened as a possible assassination attempt on Trump.
– Earlier, Trump said that no one was injured in the incident.
– US leader Joe Biden and US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris were informed about the incident.
– Trump, according to the Associated Press, returned to his Mar-a-Lago residence, which is about five kilometers from the golf club.
– The shooting incident outside Trump’s golf club comes about two months after an assassination attempt on the politician at a rally in Pennsylvania.