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Donald Trump
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Trump safe after apparent assassination attempt at his Florida golf course, person in custody

Secret Service agents engaged a rifle-wielding man in some bushes near the boundary of Donald Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida

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Members of the FBI at the scene outside the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Photo: AFP
Agence France-Presse

Donald Trump was the target of an apparent assassination attempt on Sunday in Florida, the FBI said, with the Republican presidential candidate’s campaign and law enforcement reporting he was safe and unharmed.

The US Secret Service confirmed one or more of its agents “opened fire on a gunman” located near the boundary of Trump’s golf course, and that an “AK-47 style rifle” with a scope was recovered along with a GoPro video camera.

Amid the confrontation with the Secret Service, the suspect bolted out of the shrubbery he had been hiding in and escaped in a black car. A witness helped police identify the vehicle and authorities tracked it down.

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“We have somebody in custody right now that is a potential suspect,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told a news conference.

West Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw shows a picture of an AK-style rifle with a scope, and bags found by the Secret Service. Photo: EPA-EFE
West Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw shows a picture of an AK-style rifle with a scope, and bags found by the Secret Service. Photo: EPA-EFE
The man in custody was Ryan Routh, three law enforcement officials told Associated Press. He has eight arrests on his record, apparently for minor offences, CNN reported. In 2002, Routh was convicted of possessing a machine gun, NBC reported, citing court records.
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