Gunshots were reported in Donald Trump's vicinity Sunday afternoon. The former president is safe. The list of Presidents and Presidential contenders killed or attacked by gunman includes Alabama Governor George Wallace during his campaign to win the Democratic nomination for President in 1972.
U.S. Secret Service agents opened fire after seeing a person with a firearm near Trump's West Palm Beach golf club in Florida while the Republican presidential candidate was golfing. No injuries were reported. Officials say the person fled in an SUV and was later apprehended by local law enforcement. He was identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, three law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
The U.S. Secret Service said it was investigating and that the incident occurred shortly before 2 p.m. Roughly two months ago, Trump was shot during an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, and a bullet grazed his ear.
Here’s a listing of shooting involving Presidents and people seeking the office, according to the Voice of America.
Donald Trump: Trump had just started a campaign speech in Pennsylvania on July 13 when shots rang out. Trump was shot in the ear. He was rushed by security officials to a black SUV.
Ronald Reagan: He was shot in 1981 outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington. Reagan was wounded when one of the bullets ricocheted off a limousine and struck him under the left armpit.
Gerald Ford: Survived two attempts on his life in less than three weeks in 1975 without being hurt.
Theodore Roosevelt: He was shot in the chest in 1912 while campaigning for election in Milwaukee but insisted on delivering his speech to supporters before being taken to a hospital.
Assassination attempts on other US leaders
Robert F. Kennedy: A U.S. presidential candidate, and a U.S. senator, Kennedy was assassinated in 1968 by a gunman in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.
Alabama Governor George C. Wallace: A candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, he was shot in 1972 and became paralyzed from the waist down.
Back in 2014, the Associated Press reported how the gun used in the attack on Wallace was about to go up on the auction. At that time, the AP said.
An Illinois auction house said it was selling the revolver that almost killed former Alabama Gov. George Wallace. Rock Island Auction Company specializes in rare firearms. It listed the revolver for sale. Company vice president Judy Voss said it’s the same gun used to shoot Wallace during a 1972 assassination attempt. Voss said the serial number on the gun matches that listed on police reports. Voss said a date etched into the gun also matches law enforcement records. Arthur Bremer shot Wallace during a Maryland stop as the governor campaigned for president. It left Wallace paralyzed from the waist down. The auction company gave a presale estimated value of between $15,000 and $30,000. Voss did not say at that time who was selling the gun.
Trump campaign leaders are crediting the Secret Service with keeping the former president safe following the apparent assassination attempt in Florida. It was not immediately clear whether the incident would affect Trump's campaign schedule. On Monday night, he was set to speak from Florida about cryptocurrency live on the social media site X for the launch of his sons' crypto platform.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, said he and his wife, Gwen, are "glad" to hear Trump is safe. "Violence has no place in our country," he said in a post on X. "It's not who we are as a nation." Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he has been briefed by the acting director of the Secret Service and applauded the agency "for their quick response to ensure former President Trump's safety." Schumer went on to condemn "political violence of any kind" and said the "perpetrator must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
