The suspect in an apparent assassination attempt against former US president Donald Trump did not fire his weapon, the Secret Service has said.
Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, is facing federal gun charges after he was arrested on Sunday afternoon following the incident at West Palm Beach golf course in Florida, where Mr Trump was playing.
A Secret Service agent spotted a rifle poking through the bushes and opened fire on the suspect.
Routh is alleged to have fled the scene in a car before being captured in a neighbouring county, and has now been charged with firearm offences, authorities said.
It has been just nine weeks since the Republican presidential nominee survived another attempt on his life.
Jeffrey B Veltri, special agent in charge of the FBI Miami Field Office, told reporters at a news conference that officers are investigating the matter as an “apparent assassination attempt”.
He said several witnesses at the scene have been interviewed adding that “the evidence response team is collecting multiple items” while “DNA has also been collected”.
Mr Veltri also confirmed Routh had numerous charges for handling stolen goods between 1997 and 2010, and was investigated in 2019 when someone reported he had a firearm – he was prohibited from possessing a weapon because of prior convictions.
The FBI is investigating at Donald Trump’s golf club in Florida. Pic: Reuters
So far, authorities do not believe Routh was acting with anyone else, but say he had an active online presence and are compiling details of the subject’s movements in weeks before his arrest.
Mobile phone data shows he was in the area of the golf course roughly 12 hours before the Secret Service opened fire.
US attorney for the southern district of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, described the investigation as being “still at the early stages”.
He said officers had already found a digital camera, a backpack, a rifle and a black plastic bag containing food at the scene.
Ronald Rowe Jr said the suspect did not have a line of sight to Mr Trump
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Acting director Ronald Rowe Jr of the United States Secret Service (USSS) gave more details about the circumstances leading to the arrest of Routh.
He said a Secret Service agent who was sweeping the golf course saw the alleged gunman and “immediately discharged his firearm”.
“The subject who did not have a line of sight to Mr Trump fled the scene. He did not fire any shots at our agent,” he added. Mr Trump was then moved to a safe location.
He explained that following the assassination attempt on Mr Trump in July, the Secret Service “increased assets”.
“In the days that followed, Joe Biden made it clear he wanted the highest levels of protection for Mr Trump and Kamala Harris,” he said.
Mr Rowe confirmed he spoke to the former president and said Mr Trump was “aware that he has the highest levels of protection” from the agency.
He also said the golf trip was not on Mr Trump’s schedule, so they put together a security plan.
Authorities are pursuing and executing search warrants for mobile phones, a vehicle and electronics belonging to Routh, an FBI official said.
