Attempted assassination attempt on Trump What we know and what we don't know
In July, an assassination attempt on Donald Trump shocked the USA and the world. A good two months later, it looks like the Republican's bodyguards have thwarted another attack.
16.09.2024, 06:00
16.09.2024, 08:32
SDA
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Two months after the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, security forces have apparently foiled another attempted attack on the Republican.
- Below: What we know and don't know about the incident so far.
Donald Trump's campaign team initially reported shots fired "in the vicinity" of the former US president - then the FBI got in touch: the US Federal Police believe there was an attempted assassination attempt on the current Republican presidential candidate. The 78-year-old was unharmed in the incident at his golf club in West Palm Beach in the US state of Florida, and a suspect was arrested. Many questions remain unanswered.
What we do know:
The incident
Trump was playing golf at his club in West Palm Beach on Sunday afternoon when a Secret Service bodyguard saw a gun barrel sticking out of the fence of the golf course, which was surrounded by bushes. Shots were fired as a result. "We're not sure right now if the person was in a position to shoot at our agents. But certainly our agents were able to engage the individual," a Secret Service representative said at a press conference.
The escape
According to the police, the suspect fled in a car. However, a witness had observed him and was able to help the police identify the car and the man. The suspect was apprehended a short time later on a highway near the scene, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said.
The crime scene
Trump's golf club is surrounded by a fence, in front of which there are meter-high bushes and trees. The police cordoned off an area right next to a road - presumably the place where the man had positioned himself. According to the police, he left behind an AK-47 assault rifle with a telescopic sight. The security forces also found two rucksacks and a compact camera.
The suspect
The police have not yet made the man's identity public. US media report, 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.
Police investigate the crime scene after the shooting incident.
Image: Keystone/
Trump is a passionate golfer. (archive picture)
Image: Keystone
Police investigate the crime scene after the shooting incident.
Image: Keystone/
Trump is a passionate golfer. (archive picture)
Image: Keystone
What we do not know
The motive
Investigators initially gave no official details about the suspect or his motives. However, US media reported that the man had frequently made political statements on social networks and was particularly supportive of Ukraine, which had been attacked by Russia and whose most important ally is the US government under President Joe Biden. He had tried to recruit foreigners to fight in Ukraine.
It remains to be seen whether this has 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 approach
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 indeed 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 residents to miss Trump driving his motorcade from his Mar-a-Lago estate, just a few kilometers away, to West Palm Beach.
Earlier, a Secret Service agent had spotted a gun barrel sticking out of the fence, according to Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. The gunman was about 270 to 500 meters away from Trump. Bradshaw said it was unclear whether the man had also fired - or just the Secret Service. An AK-47 assault rifle with a scope and a camera were among the items found in bushes at the scene after the man fled, he said.
The sheriff also says that a witness saw a man running out of the bushes and took a photo of his vehicle. This ultimately led to his arrest.
The danger
According to the police, the suspect was only a few hundred meters away from Trump. It is unclear how, after the assassination attempt on the Republican two months ago in Pennsylvania, a gunman was able to get so close to him again. What is clear, however, is that a presidential candidate and former president enjoys less Secret Service protection than an incumbent president.