Trump rushed to safety and suspect held after man spotted with rifle

Former President Donald Trump is safe following gunshots “in his vicinity”, his campaign said, after an incident took place near his Florida golf club on Sunday.

“President Trump is safe,” his campaign communications director, Steven Cheung, said, adding there were “No further details at this time”.

The Secret Service confirmed in a post on X that they were investigating a “protective incident” involving Trump that took place shortly before 14:00 EST (19:00 BST).

The White House confirmed President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris had been briefed about the incident that they said took place at the Trump International Golf Course, “where former President Trump was golfing”.

“They are relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team,” the White House said.

The BBC has contacted the US Secret Service and Trump campaign for more details.

The incident comes almost exactly two months after a gunman attempted to assassinate Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, striking his ear.

In a post on X, Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr, said shots were fired at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. He said a suspect had been apprehended.

The BBC has also contacted the West Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office.

Trump was injured while addressing a crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania, on 13 July when a gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired at him with an AR-15–style rifle from the roof of a nearby building.

The shooting left one audience member dead, while Crooks, 20, was killed at the scene by a Secret Service sniper.

The Secret Service faced intense scrutiny over how the shooter from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was able to open fire on the former president.

The director of the agency, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned within two weeks of the incident.