PALM BEACH, Fla. — A man armed with an AK-47-style rifle was captured after firing multiple shots at Mar-a-Lago, where former President Donald J. Trump was playing golf on Friday. Authorities say the suspect had been hiding in bushes on the resort’s golf course and was apprehended shortly after the incident, thanks to the swift response of law enforcement and Secret Service agents.
“There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first, I am safe and well,” Trump said. “Nothing will slow me down, I will never surrender!”
According to law enforcement, the suspect fired several rounds before attempting to flee the scene. A Secret Service agent assigned to advance security on the course spotted the rifle barrel emerging from the bushes, prompting an immediate response. The man was then seen running from the area and jumping into a black Nissan, which was later identified by a witness who captured a photo of the vehicle.
“Fortunately, we were able to locate a witness that came to us and said, ‘Hey, I saw the guy running out of the bushes,'” a law enforcement officer said. The vehicle’s information was relayed to local authorities, and license plate readers picked up the car heading north on I-95 into Martin County.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office was alerted, and deputies successfully pulled over the vehicle and detained the suspect. The witness, who had been on the golf course, was flown to the scene and positively identified the man as the one who had been hiding in the bushes with the weapon.
At the location where the suspect had been stationed, police found an AK-47-style rifle with a scope, two backpacks hanging on a nearby fence, and a GoPro camera. The backpacks reportedly contained ceramic tiles, though authorities have not disclosed further details about their purpose.
The suspect remains in custody, and authorities are working to process evidence from the scene. Law enforcement officials have not yet released the suspect’s identity or the charges that will be filed.