A suspect, later identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, was spotted hiding in nearby shrubbery while aiming a rifle at a member of Trump's security detail.

The incident occurred two months after Trump survived a previous assassination attempt while speaking at a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania.

The incident occurred 64 days after a previous assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, in which he was shot and wounded in his upper right ear by a 20-year-old sniper, Thomas Matthew Crooks.

[17] At 1:31 p.m. EDT[18] (approximately 12 hours after the gunman's 1:59 a.m. arrival),[19][20] the agent, having seen the rifle barrel move,[3] fired at the man, who dropped his weapon and fled in a vehicle.

[24][25] After the gunman fled the scene, a "be on the lookout" was issued to law enforcement with details about the suspect's car, a black Nissan Xterra SUV.

Lieutenant Travis Dykes stated that there could have been a potential disaster if the police department didn't work together as a group.

"[26] Shortly after the incident, authorities identified the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh, a 58-year-old Hawaii resident who lived for most of his life in Greensboro, North Carolina.

[34] In a self-published ebook in 2023, he wrote about his supposed previous support for Trump, saying, "I am man enough to say that I misjudged and made a terrible mistake.

He had over one hundred criminal counts filed against him in North Carolina, which included driving violations and possession of stolen items.

[42] Routh was charged on September 24 with attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate, as well as "assaulting a federal officer" and "possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

On September 23, 2024, the Department of Justice published a letter written by Routh several months prior to his arrest, stating:[3][45][46] Dear World, this was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.

U.S presidents must at bare minimum embody the moral fabric that is America and be kind, caring and selfless and always stand for humanity.

Trump fails to understand any of-An unnamed witness had contacted law enforcement on September 18, stating that Routh had dropped off a box containing the letter at his house several months before the incident.

[47] The Department of Justice's decision to publicize the note would be criticized by former US Attorney General William Barr, as it told people to 'finish the job' of killing Trump with a cash award, which could lead to potential future assassination attempts and plots.

[52] On October 17, Routh's lawyers asked Cannon to recuse herself to avoid the appearance of bias in favor of Trump.

[55] Routh would also compare himself to Thomas Matthew Crooks, the perpetrator of Trump's previous assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, claiming they were both "ready to die for freedom and democracy."

[28] Shortly after the incident, law enforcement linked the license plates for the Nissan SUV used by Routh to a 2012 Ford truck that was reported as stolen.

[60] On September 24, FBI agents found documents that contained a handwritten list of venues where the former President had appeared or was expected to be present, dated in August through October.

He pled guilty of one count of possessing child pornography involving a minor who had not yet reached 12 years of age and the rest of the charges were dismissed.

"[28] In a separate statement, Harris said: "I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe.

"[6] Shortly after the shooting, Elon Musk, executive chairman of Twitter, quote-retweeted a post on the site which asked "Why they want [sic] to kill Donald Trump?

Although he initially defended his wording, Musk deleted the tweet following widespread condemnation, claiming the next day that his remarks were intended as a joke.

The White House issued a statement calling Musk's comment "irresponsible", writing that "violence should only be condemned, never encouraged or joked about".