Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Sunday night that the state will launch its own investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, bypassing the federal government’s involvement.
“The State of Florida will be conducting its own investigation regarding the attempted assassination at Trump International Golf Club,” DeSantis posted on X. “The people deserve the truth about the would-be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee.”
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw confirmed that Trump was between 300 and 500 yards away from the armed suspect when a Secret Service agent “engaged” with the assailant. “Secret Service did exactly what they should have done, and their agent did a fantastic job,” Bradshaw said, as reported by Axios.
The suspect, identified as 58-year-old Ryan Routh, was apprehended after fleeing the scene, according to Palm Beach County State Attorney David Aronberg, per USA Today. Sheriff Bradshaw explained that the Trump International Golf Course is surrounded by shrubbery with a limited perimeter, making it easy for someone to conceal themselves. “When somebody gets into the shrubbery, they’re pretty much out of sight,” he noted.
Due to Trump no longer being a sitting president, Bradshaw added, “security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible,” but suggested future visits would likely see increased security. Trump was between the fifth and sixth holes when the incident occurred, CNN reported.
A Secret Service agent spotted a rifle barrel with a scope sticking out from a fence. Bradshaw credited a witness with helping authorities catch Routh, stating, “A witness came to us and said, ‘Hey, I saw the guy running out of the bushes, he jumped into a black Nissan, and I took a picture of the vehicle and the tag,’ which was great.”
Routh was arrested by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, with the witness later identifying him as the individual fleeing the scene.
