Gunman Was Within Sight of Trump: Live Updates

A gunman at Trump’s golf course was close enough to shoot the former president, law-enforcement officials said during a press conference in West Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday evening. Officials gave an initial version of events during the first briefing on the second attempt on Trump’s life in less than three months.

The unnamed suspect was hiding in shrubbery along the golf course’s fence line running parallel to a main road and armed with an AK-47 style rifle and scope. He was estimated to be between 300 and 500 yards from Trump, who was out on the course playing golf with Secret Service protection. “With a rifle with a scope like that, that’s not a lot of difference,” said Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.

A Secret Service agent positioned at least one hole ahead of Trump spotted the barrel of the rifle sticking through the fence and fired at least four shots in the gunman’s direction. The gunman fled, leaving behind a backpack containing plates for body armor and a GoPro camera that authorities believed he intended to use during the attempted assassination.

“We are not sure right now if the individual was able to take a shot at our agents,” Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros said.

As the gunman ran, an eyewitness saw him get into a car and took a photo of the license plate that was sent to authorities, according to Bradshaw. License plate readers on I-95 detected the vehicle driving northwest into another county where sheriff’s deputies stopped the vehicle and apprehended the suspect. Bradshaw said the suspect did not make statements about the attack on Trump.