Tim Walz: 'Violence has no place in our country'
Harris' running mate, 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.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said security was limited because Trump is not the sitting president, but he added that the Secret Service “provided exactly what the protection should have been.”
What we know so far about the incident and arrest
A call first came into the Palm Beach County Sheriff's office about shots fired near Trump's golf course at round 1:30 p.m. ET, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters.
The Secret Service said one of its agents was scouting the course ahead of Trump when a rifle was spotted in the bushes outside the course. Agents opened fire at the suspect; it is unclear whether the suspect fired a weapon.
An eyewitness spotted the suspect, who has not been identified, fleeing from the bushes in a black Nissan, Bradshaw told reporters. The witness reached out to law enforcement with photos of the vehicle and its license plate that were used in an alert to other agencies to be on the lookout.
Authorities recovered an AR-style rifle with a scope in the bushes, as well as a GoPro camera, Bradshaw said.
A road control unit with the Martin's County Sheriff's Office then spotted a vehicle matching the description in the alert heading northbound on Interstate 95 and matched the license plates. Sheriff William Snyder said the suspect was taken into custody by law enforcement officers who had "long rifles."
"The suspect's demeanor, I would describe as having a relatively calm, flat affect; he was not displaying a lot of emotions, never asked, 'What is this about?'" Snyder said.
The suspect was not armed when he was taken into custody, and the vehicle will be turned over to the FBI, the agency leading the investigation, Snyder said.
JD Vance: 'I’ll be hugging my kids extra tight tonight'
Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, said on X that he will be "hugging [his] kids extra tight tonight" after what the FBI called an apparent attempted assassination of Trump.
The FBI says it is investigating “what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump” after shots were fired near where he was golfing.
Suspect left a rifle with a scope in the bushes where he was spotted fleeing by a witness
An eyewitness who spotted the suspect fleeing from bushes outside Trump's golf course took photos of his car, allowing law enforcement to dispatch an alert, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters.
A rifle with a scope and a GoPro camera were found in the bushes where the suspect was initially seen, Bradshaw said.
An alert to "be on the lookout" was immediately dispatched, and a license plate reader led authorities to the suspect, he said.
The Secret Service confirmed previous reporting that its agents fired at the suspect, which occurred when an agent scouting ahead of Trump spotted a the weapon in the bushes.
Authorities could not confirm whether the suspect fired the weapon. The FBI said it is leading the investigation.
Trump is back at Mar-a-Lago
Trump is now back at Mar-a-Lago following his evacuation from his golf course, a source familiar with the matter said.
Trump says he is 'glad he is alive,' was golfing with friend Steve Witkoff during incident
A source familiar with the matter who just got off the phone with Trump said the former president was talking about his golf game and kept saying he was glad he is alive. Trump was golfing with real estate investor Steve Witkoff, a friend and donor.
While Trump was not scheduled to speak to the media today or tomorrow, that could now change.
Trump sent out a campaign email saying he is “safe and well” and thanking supporters for their well wishes.
FBI says it is investigating what 'appears to be an attempted assassination'
The FBI said it is responding to the Trump security incident, adding that it is investigating "what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump.”
Authorities have not yet confirmed that the suspect in custody fired any shots. Four senior law enforcement sources told NBC News that Secret Service agents fired their weapons after seeing someone with a weapon potentially aiming, though it is not clear where the person was aiming.