Donald Trump was about to putt when Secret Service noticed muzzle of rifle

It was just another day on the Florida golf course for Donald Trump, former US President and Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential race, until it wasn’t. As Trump was about to go up to putt at his West Palm Beach club on Monday, a Secret Service agent spotted the muzzle of a rifle barrel poking through the bushes near the fence line.
Agents opened fire but missed. The gunman, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, managed to evade immediate capture.
Officials said that the gunman was approximately 400 to 500 yards (365 to 460 meters) away from Trump at the time of the incident.
Unlike most high-profile figures who retreat to secluded estates with towering walls, Trump spends much of his time at an accessible club, rubbing shoulders with paying members and unwinding on golf courses. But on this occasion, relaxation turned to alarm.
“The threat level is high,” Rafael Barros, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Miami field office, told reporters on Sunday. “We live in danger times.”
Agents engaged the gunman, firing at least four rounds of ammunition around 1.30 pm (1730 GMT) on Sunday. In a replay of scenes from the July rally at Butler, Pennsylvania where Trump was shot, and a bullet grazed his ear, Secret Service agents at the golf course swiftly surrounded Trump, using their own bodies as shields. With quick precision, they escorted the former president to the safety of the golf course clubhouse. For 15 agonising minutes, Trump stayed under protection before being whisked back to Mar-a-Lago.
But the danger wasn’t over. The assailant had slipped away, leaving law enforcement scrambling for leads. Yet the escape was short-lived. Martin County Sheriff William D Snyder revealed that deputies flooded northbound I-95 in pursuit, deploying officers to every exit from Palm Beach County to St Lucie County.
The suspect was arrested within minutes after a joint BOLO (be-on-the-lookout) alert from the FBI, Secret Service, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. This high-stakes game of cat and mouse had come to a rapid and decisive end, but it was a stark reminder of the ever-present dangers in today’s politically charged climate.
Fox News presenter Sean Hannity said he had spoken to both Trump and his golf partner and long-time friend Steve Witkoff. They had been on the fifth hole when they heard a “pop pop, pop pop.” Within seconds, the Secret Service “pounced on the president, covered him”, Hanity said, quoting Witkoff.
The latest attack raises fresh questions about the level of protection for Trump, especially after the Butler incident – How did Routh get so close?
If Trump were in office “we would have had the entire golf course surrounded,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said during Sunday’s briefing. “Because he’s not, security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible.”
Following the incident, Trump thanked the Secret Service and other law enforcement officials.

In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump stated, “The job done was absolutely outstanding.”
“I would like to thank everyone for your concern and well wishes — It was certainly an interesting day! Most importantly, I want to thank the US Secret Service, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and his Office of brave and dedicated patriots, and, all of the law enforcement, for the incredible job done today at Trump International in keeping me, as the 45th President of the United States, and the Republican nominee in the upcoming presidential election, SAFE,” the presidential candidate said.