On September 15, 2024, an assassination attempt was made on former President Donald Trump after a person with a firearm was spotted at his West Palm Beach golf course. This follows a previous attempt on Trump’s life in July 2024 at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, was arrested after fleeing the scene and being pulled over by the county sheriff’s office (NPR). Routh had camped out at the golf course for approximately 12 hours with food and a rifle, waiting for the former president (AP News). Authorities report that Routh never fired a shot, despite being within a few hundred yards of Trump (USA Today).
The FBI is currently investigating the motive behind the attempt. According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, no one was injured. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced the state will be conducting its own investigation, citing “multiple violations of state law.” President Biden and Vice President Harris were also briefed on the incident and issued statements condemning political violence (AP News)
Date of event: September 15, 2024
Impact:
Related Resources:
- U.S. Secret Service: Threats to and Assaults on Presidents and Vice Presidents [Updated July 18, 2024]
- Presidential Candidate and Nominating Convention Security [Updated June 3, 2024]
- Assassination in the United States: An Operational Study of Recent Assassins, Attackers, and Near Lethal Approachers
- Preventing Assassination: Secret Service Exceptional Case Study Project
- Legislative Evolution of U.S. Secret Service [July 25, 2024]
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