Yesterday afternoon, there was a second attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life. This comes just 9 weeks after an attempt on the president’s life at a rally in PA.
Trump was golfing at his club in West Palm Beach, FL when Secret Service agents noticed the muzzle of an AK-styled rifle sticking out of the bushes about 300 yards away from the President. For context, that is about twice the distance of the previous assassination attempt as shown by this map from the British Broadcasting Corporation.
After the gun was noticed, Secret Service Agents fired, and the gunman dropped the rifle, and started to run away. He made his retreat in an SUV and left behind the gun, and a backpack containing a scope, ceramic tiles, and a GoPro camera.
The Palm Beach County sheriff apprehended and identified the man as Ryan Routh.
Routh is a 58-year-old man from North Carolina who has been living in Hawaii lately. He was arrested 8 times previously for mostly minor offenses. Though, according to the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, Routh was convicted of owning a weapon of mass destruction in 2002, which is a class F Felony.
As law enforcement chased down Ryan Routh, Trump was escorted back to the golf club on a special speedy golf cart with steel reinforcement by Secret Service Agents.
Trump posted this message on his website and his Social Media:
“FEAR NOT! I am safe and well, and no one was hurt. Thank God!
But, there are people in this world who will do whatever it takes to stop us.
I will not stop fighting for you.
I will Never Surrender!”
President Biden said following the attempt that: “There is no place for political violence in our country” Vice President Kamala Harris also condemned the violent act.
This second assassination attempt is more than just an extreme political act. The fact that this is the second attempt in a few weeks, shows a deep need as a nation to calm down and take a deep breath. For the second time in mere weeks, someone was willing to take extreme measures to silence a man who, whether right or wrong, has undeniably helped make America what it is today.
-Samuel Anderson
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