Tipsheet

FBI Grilled On Why Secret Service Wasn't Surrounding Trump at Time of 2nd Assassination Attempt

Sarah Arnold
Sarah Arnold  |  September 15, 2024 5:30 PM

The FBI confirmed on Sunday that the shooting at former President Donald Trump’s West Palm Beach Golf Course was, in fact, a second attempted assassination attack on the Republican. 

FBI agents said that the Secret Service fired four shots at the suspect. Agents were one hole ahead of Trump on the golf course, scoping out the area, when they noticed the gunman. The suspect was between “300 and 500 yards” from Trump when agents confronted him.

Trump was immediately taken to the ground and covered by agents after the Secret Service heard “pops.” However, it is still unclear if the suspect fired shots as well. 

The FBI said the gunman, who was carrying an AK-47, had been hiding in the bushes along with a scope, two backpacks, and a GoPro camera. 

When asked why Trump did not have Secret Service agents surrounding him on the golf course, officials said because he is “not the sitting President.”

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"Call came out, shots fired. That was called in by the Secret Service because we're in constant contact with them all the time," the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office said. "Fortunately, we were able to locate a witness that came to us and said, 'Hey, I saw the guy running out of the bushes. He jumped into a black Nissan. Our real-time crime center put it out to the license plate readers, and we were able to get a hit on that vehicle on I-95 as it was headed into Martin County." 

Officials believe they found the suspect's Go-Pro camera hung on a nearby fence, which they think was intended to be used to film or livestream the attempted assassination of Trump.