Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Green reported another assassination attempt on Donald Trump, a candidate for the post of US president. Despite the incident, Trump remained safe and sound. According to a statement from the campaign headquarters, Trump is safe after the shooting that happened near his residence. This was reported by the agency Reuters, referring to the statements of headquarters representatives.
The US Secret Service quickly responded to the situation when shots were fired not far from Trump in the area of his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. New York Post clarifies, that the incident happened when the ex-president was leaving the club.
“President Trump is safe following a shooting incident near him. No further details available at this time.”, — said Stephen Chung, a representative of Trump’s election campaign.
As the New York Post reports with reference to its own sources, the shooting occurred between two individuals who aimed at each other, not at Trump. The publication also notes that this area is known for its high level of crime, so Trump was actually in no danger.
According to Donald Trump Jr., one of the shooters was detained, and an AK-47 assault rifle was found with him. The US Secret Service is currently investigating the incident, which occurred near the former president’s residence. A spokesman for the service confirmed that Trump is safe.
Meanwhile, The New York Post later updated its information. It was initially reported that two people were shooting at each other near the golf club. However, the new version of the article says that the shooter was only a Secret Service agent who suspected a gunman on the golf course.
According to the update, the agent fired multiple shots after noticing a suspicious person who he believed was carrying a gun. After that, Donald Trump was urgently transferred to a safe place.
CNN, citing its sources, reports that authorities are treating the incident as a possible assassination attempt on the politician, raising concerns about Trump’s security on the campaign trail.
What is known about the shooter who aimed at Trump
Ryan Wesley Root, detained after the shooting incident near the golf club where US presidential candidate Donald Trump was, had a rather unusual biography and close ties to Ukraine. According to the Associated Press, Root aimed a Kalashnikov assault rifle with an optical sight at Trump while the former president was playing on the golf course. He is 58 years old and owns a small construction firm in Hawaii.
Root has repeatedly expressed support for Ukraine in his posts on social networks, actively engaged in fundraising for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and urged Americans to join the Ukrainian army. He even called himself an “unofficial mediator” of the Ukrainian government. In 2022, he published numerous posts on the X platform (formerly Twitter), where he expressed his willingness to sacrifice his life in the fight against Russia and even called for the burning of the Kremlin.
CNN reports that since October 2023, Root has been trying to recruit Afghan soldiers who moved to the United States after the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan to serve in the Ukrainian armed forces. He asked the Afghan soldiers to send copies of their passports to the Ukrainian authorities, noting that Ukraine was interested in their involvement. One of his posts, published in English and Pashto, included calls for 3,000 Afghan soldiers to submit their documents for possible participation in the Ukrainian army.
Ruth was also active as a volunteer in Ukraine. According to the New York Times, he spent several months in the country, during which he tried to attract Afghan mercenaries. Newsweek also wrote about his activities, including his attempts to become part of Ukraine’s military effort. In one of the interviews, he admitted that he was going to join the Ukrainian military, but due to his lack of military experience, he was refused.
“I’m 56 years old and have no military training, so they told me it’s not a good time”, – said Ruth.
Root previously supported Donald Trump during the 2016 election campaign, but later changed his political stance to support Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, donating to the Democratic Party.
In addition to political activism, Ruth repeatedly encountered law enforcement agencies. In 2002, he was convicted of illegal possession of weapons. He was arrested after a standoff with police, during which a gun was found in his possession.
