By Raul Castillo
Sep 15, 2024, 7:12 PM EDT
Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said Sunday she was “glad” that former President Donald Trump was safe following the shooting near his golf course, which is being investigated by the FBI as a possible “assassination attempt.”
“I’m glad you’re safe. Violence has no place in America,” Harris wrote on her X account.
Minutes earlier, the White House had issued a brief statement saying that Harris and President Joe Biden were aware of the situation.
“The President and Vice President have been briefed on the security incident at Trump International Golf Course, where former President Trump was playing golf. They are relieved to know that he is safe. Their team will keep them updated regularly.”
Harris’ vice presidential nominee and current Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement on X that he and his wife, Gwen Walz, are glad Trump is safe and echoed Harris’ statement that violence has no place in America.
Schumer applauds the Secret Service
Other Democrats have joined in condemning the latest assassination attempt on former President Trump, just as they did after he was shot in Pennsylvania in July.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer “applauded” the Secret Service for its “swift response” to ensure the safety of former President Trump. “There is no place in this country for any kind of political violence. The perpetrator of such acts must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he wrote in X.
The suspect, who has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh by multiple media outlets, was detained by the Secret Service.
At a news conference, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said Secret Service agents spotted a man with a rifle standing near the fence of Trump’s golf course, where he was playing, about 300-500 yards away.
When they saw the man aiming, the officers shot him. The man ran out from among some bushes where he was hiding, to the vehicle in which he tried to flee, a black pickup truck whose license plate a witness managed to photograph, according to the EFE agency.
As a result, the individual was arrested a few minutes later on the road in his vehicle. The weapon was found in the bushes, as well as two bags and a GoPro sports camera.
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe is headed to Florida following today’s incident, two officials told NBC News.
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