WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Officials released more details Monday following an apparent second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
According to law enforcement officials, the former president was at his golf course in West Palm Beach Sunday afternoon when Secret Service members saw the barrel of a rifle coming through the fence.
That’s when Trump was rushed to safety.
The street in front of the golf club was blocked all morning long Monday. The only cars going in or out appeared to be that of Secret Service agents or investigators.
The FBI is now investigating.
According to authorities, the incident took place around 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Trump’s International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
A Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of a rifle poking through a fence pointing towards the vicinity of the former president while he was golfing, authorities said.
”What they do is they have an agent that jumps one hole ahead of time to where the president was and he was able to spot this rifle barrel sticking out of the fence,” Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said Monday at a press conference.
Investigators believe the gunman was about 300 to 500 yards away from the agent who spotted him.
Sources told ABC News the agent then fired four to six shots toward the suspect, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii.
“And immediately he engaged that individual, at which time the individual took off,” Snyder said.
Routh camped outside the golf course with food and a rifle for nearly 12 hours, lying in wait for the former president before a Secret Service agent thwarted the potential attack and opened fire, according to court documents filed Monday.
Photos show what appeared to be the suspect’s set up. An AK-47 style rifle was found in the bushes next to a fence with two backpacks inside ceramic tile and a GoPro.
Authorities said a witness helped investigators locate the suspect, who they said fled in a black Nissan that the witness snapped photos of, including its license plate.
“Our real time Crime Center put it out to the license plate readers and we were able to get a hit on that vehicle on I-95 as it was headed into Martin County,” Snyder said.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, who was joined by U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe, held a press conference Monday afternoon to provide updates on the latest assassination attempt on Trump.
Local 10 viewers can watch the press conference in the video below.
Sunday’s incident comes about two months after the assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
During that incident, the former president’s ear was grazed by a bullet while he was speaking to a crowd during the campaign stop.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris released separate statements Monday, speaking out against the latest round of violence aimed towards Trump.
“There’s no place in politics for political violence in America, none — zero, never,” said Biden. “ In America, we resolve our differences peacefully — at the ballot box — not at the end of a gun.”
“I am thankful that former President Trump is safe,” said Harris. “I am deeply disturbed. As we gather the facts, I will be clear: I condemn political violence.”
In an email to supporters, Trump said he is safe and well, writing in part, “nothing will slow me down. I will never surrender.”
Trump was back on the campaign trail Monday, making a stop in Michigan.
Routh, meanwhile, made a brief appearance in federal court Monday, where he was being represented by a federal public defender.
To determine his right for bond release, the prosecution asked for a three-day pretrial detention hearing, citing risk of danger to the community involving a firearm, risk of flight and obstruction of justice.
The public defender, however, asked for a five-day pre-trial detention hearing to secure more time to prepare, and the judge granted the pre-trial detention hearing, which is now set for Sept. 23.
Routh was very passionate and emotional about the war in Ukraine during an interview in 2022.
“This conflict is definitely black and white this is about good versus evil,” he said. “When you talk to a 20-year-old guy that sold everything he owns to come here and fight, that is heroism.”
Routh traveled to Ukraine to join the war but was reportedly rejected.
Oran Routh, the suspect’s 25-year-old son responded to the arrest, stating, “From what I’ve heard, it doesn’t sound like the man I know to do anything crazy, much less violent. He’s a good father and a great man, and I hope he’s portrayed honestly.”
Detectives are working to piece together how Routh, a man with ties to North Carolina and Hawaii, ended up in Florida, as Trump played golf during a break from his campaign activities.