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The FBI said Sunday that it was “investigating an attempted assassination” of former President Donald Trump, who his campaign previously said was “safe after shots were fired in his vicinity.”
The afternoon incident at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, came two months after an assassination attempt on the former president at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, sparked a US Secret Service investigation.
West Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said during a news conference Sunday that his office was notified of shots fired by the Secret Service at 1:30 p.m. ET. A source with knowledge of the matter told CNN that Trump was golfing at the time and walking between holes five and six.
Bradshaw said a Secret Service agent noticed the barrel of a rifle protruding from the fence and “fought” the man. An official said the man was later detained about 300 to 500 yards from Trump.
“We were able to get a witness who came to us and said, 'I saw the guy run out of the bushes, he jumped into a black Nissan car and I took a picture of the vehicle and the tag,' which was great,” Bradshaw said.
Officers notified the Martin County Sheriff's Office, which took the man into custody. The witness then identified the man, who has not been named.
A long gun was recovered, according to a law enforcement source.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Trump — who was playing golf with donor Steve Witkoff — soon reassured supporters that they were safe. “There were sounds of gunfire around me, but before the rumors get out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I am safe and sound!” Trump wrote in a fundraising email that afternoon.
According to the White House, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been briefed on the security incident involving Trump and are both “relieved to know he is safe.”
“I have been briefed on reports of gunfire near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. There is no place for violence in America,” Harris said. wrote on social media platform X.
Biden and Harris, who are both in Washington DC and have no public events on Sunday, will be kept updated by their teams. Attorney General Merrick Garland has also been briefed, according to Justice Department spokeswoman Dana Iverson.
Trump's fellow candidate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, wrote on Twitter on Sunday that the former president is in a “good mood.”
Vance said, “I'm glad President Trump is safe. I spoke to him before the news went public and he was in surprisingly good spirits.”
“He is one of the strongest people I have ever known,” wrote South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham. “He is in good spirits and more determined than ever to save our country,” the Trump ally wrote.
This story and headline have been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Michelle Shen and Sam Fossum contributed to this report.