The Secret Service fired shots at a suspect who was seen with a weapon near former President Donald Trump’s golf course near West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, a senior law enforcement official told ABC News.
A spokesperson for Donald Trump‘s campaign says the former president is “safe.” Law enforcement sources told ABC News a suspect is in custody.
A Secret Service source told ABC News a suspect was spotted on the periphery of the golf course with a high powered rifle. Secret Service agents fired and the source dropped the gun and fled.
The source said the suspect got into a vehicle and witnesses reported the license plate number which was tracked by authorities. Plate number spotted by witnesses and tracked by local authorities. The person was stopped and taken into custody.
The senior law enforcement source said the suspect appeared to be aiming what they called an “assault-style rifle” weapon before Secret Service fired shots. The suspect’s weapon was recovered, the official said. It was not clear if the suspect was aiming the weapon at Trump.
Sheriff Will Snyder of neighboring Martin County told ABC News that his units detained a man following the incident. Snyder said after the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Department, the Secret Service and the FBI put out a “Be on the lookout for” alert, one of his officers saw the suspect vehicle northbound on Interstate 95 and other officers “forced it to a stop without incident.”
Snyder said the vehicle matched the description in the bulletin but “now we have to determine if this, in fact, was the right suspect.”
The shooting occurred near Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida, according to sources familiar with the matter. Trump was at the club at the time.
Sheriff vehicles are pictured near Trump International Golf Club, Sept. 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla., after gunshots were reported in the vicinity of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump.
Stephanie Matat/AP
The Secret Service said in a statement that it’s working in conjunction with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to investigate “a protective incident involving former President Donald Trump that occurred shortly before 2 p.m. [ET]. The former president is safe.”
A spokesman for the sheriff’s department said, “we do have a potential suspect” and said it would hold a news conference Sunday afternoon.
Shortly after the incident, Trump sent a fundraising email saying that he was safe and well and that no one was hurt.
“But, there are people in this world who will do whatever it takes to stop us,” he wrote.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed on the “security incident at the Trump International Golf Course,” the White House said in a statement Sunday.
“They are relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team,” the White House added.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham posted to X, formerly Twitter, that he had spoken to the former president and that he was “in good spirits and he is more resolved than ever to save our country.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.