A gunman was able to get near Donald Trump on his Florida golf course because he does not have to same security detail as a sitting president, officials said.
The would-be assassin allegedly wielded an AK-47 while the former president was playing at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach on Sunday just after 1pm.
Ryan Wesley Routh, a registered Democrat, has been identified by law enforcement as the suspect now in custody.
Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters at a press conference that the Secret Service had a ‘limited’ ability to protect Trump at the golf course.
‘The golf course is surrounded by shrubbery, so when somebody gets into the shrubbery, they’re pretty much out of sight, all right, and at this level that he is at right now, he’s not the sitting president,’ Bradshaw said.
A gunman carrying an AK-47 was able to get within 300 to 500 yards of Donald Trump while he played golf in West Palm Beach on Sunday
Ryan Wesley Routh (pictured), a registered Democrat , has been identified by law enforcement as the suspect now in custody
The suspect was able to get within 300 to 500 yards of Trump and was posted up outside the club around the 5th and 6th hole
‘If he was, we would have had this entire golf course surrounded. But because he’s not, security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible.
‘So, I would imagine that the next time he comes to the golf course, there’ll probably be a little bit more people around the perimeter. But the Secret Service did exactly what they should have done.’
Special Agent Rafael Barros explained at the press conference on Sunday that Secret Service moves with Trump and is usually surveying one or two holes ahead of him when he goes for a round of golf.
Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach is near three busy road – Kirk Road, Summit Boulevard and Congress Avenue – and is close to the Palm Beach International Airport.
Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw (pictured) said the Secret Service had a ‘limited’ ability to protect Trump at the golf course because he is not the sitting president
Images revealed the backpack, GoPro camera and AK-47 style rifle that the gunman left behind
Trump could often be spotted from across from Kirk Road when he was playing golf during his presidency, however members of the media were not permitted to stand on the sidewalks nearby when he was playing, reported CNN.
Some of the restrictions where lifted after he left office and members of the public can get a clear view of Trump from the sidewalks on Summit Boulevard and Congress Avenue.
Images revealed the backpack, GoPro camera and AK-47 style rifle that the gunman left behind when fleeing the scene.
Officials said U.S. Secret Service agents spotted a rifle barrel sticking out of the bushes two holes ahead of where Trump was golfing on Sunday, prompting the agents to fire at the suspect.
Thomas Matthew Crooks (pictured) opened fire on the former president in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13
Trump was shot in the ear during the assassination attempt
The suspect was able to get within 300 to 500 years of Trump and was posted up outside the club around the 5th and 6th hole, which is confirmed to be a more ‘vulnerable’ area of the course because it is closest to the road.
The incident comes as Trump’s security detail has been ramped up in the two months after the former president was shot in the ear during an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.
Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on the former president with the AR-style rifle he got from his father.
The would-be assassin was spotted by witnesses before the shooting and Secret Service and law enforcement were warned of his presence.