Officials explain how second ‘attempted assassination’ of Donald Trump was able to happen
An apparent second attempt to end Donald Trump's life occurred yesterday in Florida
Niamh Shackleton
Questions have been raised about how a gunman was able to get close enough to Donald Trump in another apparent assassination attempt.
Yesterday (September 15), Donald Trump was enjoying an afternoon golfing at his resort in West Palm Beach, Florida, when apparent shots were 'fired in his vicinity'.
The golf course went into lockdown afterwards, with Trump later issuing a statement to reassure his political followers that he was safe and well.
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The former POTUS said: "There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!
"Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me. Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again."
The FBI is now investigating the matter and seem to be treating it as a second attempt to take Trump's life.
The suspect, who has since been named as Hawaiian resident Ryan Wesley Routh, was fired at by Secret Service agents after they spotted the barrel of a gun poking out in the bushes.
After being seen, Routh reportedly dropped his AK-47 style rifle - along with two backpacks and a GoPro camera - and fled in a black Nissan car.
Despite his attempt to flee the scene, Routh was apprehended by law enforcement and is now in custody, Martin County Sheriff William Snyder confirmed, as per Sky News.
With this being what appears to be the second assassination attempt on Trump, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw spoke at a press conference and addressed people's questions of how the gunman was able to get close to the presidential candidate.
"The golf course is surrounded by shrubbery, so when somebody gets into the shrubbery, they’re pretty much out of sight, all right, and at this level that he is at right now, he’s not the sitting president,” Bradshaw said, as per CNN.
"If he was, we would have had this entire golf course surrounded. But because he’s not, security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible.
"So, I would imagine that the next time he comes to the golf course, there’ll probably be a little bit more people around the perimeter.
"But the Secret Service did exactly what they should have done."
His comments come after the Secret Service were heavily criticized for its handling of the July 13 events, were Trump was shot at by gunman Thomas Crooks, sparking US Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle's resignation.