Trump survives another assassination attempt after man fired AK-47 at Florida golf course

Former American President Donald Trump escaped another assassination attempt less than two months after he was shot at in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July.

Gunshots were heard near Mr. Trump’s vicinity at Palm Beach Golf Club, Florida, on Sunday, Peoples Gazette reported, citing an official statement from Mr. Trump’s campaign team. The shooter has been arrested, according to the U.S. Secret Service.

“President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity. No additional details are available at this time,” Steven Cheung, Mr Trump’s campaign spokesperson, said in a terse statement.

Reacting to the Palm Beach Golf Club shooting, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it “is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination” of Mr Trump.

Citing a security source, CNN reported that “A person has been detained after an incident at Trump’s golf club, and officials believe the intention was to target the former U.S. president.”

In a statement shortly after the incident, Mr Trump said he is well and safe, vowing never to surrender.

“There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumours start spiralling 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,” Mr Trump said.

The U.S. Secret Service on X confirmed the incident but said it is collaborating with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the protective incident involving Mr. Trump.

“The Secret Service, in conjunction with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, is investigating a protective incident involving former President Donald Trump that occurred shortly before 2 p.m. The former president is safe. @pbso will have more details soon,” Anthony Guglielmi, spokesperson for the U.S. Secret Service, said.

This marks the second assassination attempt on Mr Trump’s life after he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt when Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Pennsylvania, opened fire during a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July.

A bullet grazed Mr Trump’s ear in the incident, which also resulted in the death of one rally attendee, Corey Comperatore, and injuries to two others. The shooter was subdued by Secret Service agents moments after he began firing at Mr Trump.