How close was golf course gunman to Trump? Interactive map lets you see for yourself
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The FBI is investigating what it has described as an apparent attempt to assassinate Donald Trump as he played a round of golf at his West Palm Beach golf course on Sunday.
The former president was rushed to safety after a Secret Service agent opened fire on the suspected gunman, who was spotted hiding in the treeline of the golf course only a few hundred yards away from where Trump was. The suspect fled the scene, but his vehicle was located less than an hour later and he was taken into custody. Trump wasn’t harmed in the incident.
Former President Trump was on the course at the Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach.
Trump was playing at hole 5 on the eastern part of the course when a Secret Service agent spotted an assault rifle sticking out from the bushes near hole 6.
The suspect fled and abandoned his weapon and two backpacks at a fence on the edge of the course. Law enforcement recovered the items shortly after.
As Trump golfed on Sunday with his friend and campaign donor Steve Witkoff, a Secret Service agent patrolling the course ahead of the former president spotted a suspect with an assault-style rifle hiding in bushes around the golf course. The agent fired on the suspect, who fled in a black Nissan.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters on Sunday that the gunman — identified as 58-year-old Ryan Routh of Hawaii and North Carolina — was able to get within 400-500 yards of Trump. Authorities said Monday that Routh never had Trump in his line of sight, and did not get off a shot.
As Routh fled the scene, a witness snapped a photograph of his vehicle and license plate, and shared the picture with law enforcement. The license plate number was picked up by cameras on I-95 in Martin County, about 40 miles north of the golf club. Routh was apprehended by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office at around 2:15 p.m. on Sunday.
After the incident, Trump returned to Mar-a-Lago, less than five miles east of the golf course. Allies of the former president who spoke to him after the assassination attempt described him as being in “good spirits.”
While he was unharmed by the apparent attempt on his life, the incident marked the second time in just over two months that Trump was the target of a would-be assassin. During a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. in July, Trump was struck in the right ear by a bullet.
