Donald Trump’s campaign has reported that gunshots were fired near him, though the former president is confirmed to be safe. His spokesman, Steven Cheung, shared this brief update, adding that further details were not immediately available.
Trump had been golfing at his West Palm Beach course in Florida, not far from his Mar-a-Lago residence, during a break from the campaign trail, according to various media reports.
The incident occurred on the golf course grounds, and law enforcement has detained a “person of interest” who was found with a weapon. Local authorities, as cited by the New York Times, confirmed the individual’s arrest.
While Trump’s Secret Service protection was present at the time, as per protocol, the motives behind the shooting remain unclear, and there’s no immediate indication that Trump himself was targeted. The weapon recovered was reportedly an AK-47 style rifle.
This event comes on the heels of concerns for the safety of political candidates, especially following an earlier incident two months ago when Trump was injured during a rally in Pennsylvania after a gunman opened fire.
In response to the latest event, the White House confirmed that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had been briefed and expressed relief over Trump’s safety.
Following the earlier Pennsylvania rally shooting, the Secret Service faced heavy criticism for security lapses, leading to the resignation of Kimberly Cheatle, the agency’s head. Several agents were placed on administrative leave as part of the fallout.
