A man has been arrested and an assault rifle recovered after “an apparent assassination attempt” on Donald Trump, according to the FBI.

Mr Trump was playing a round at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach when gunshots were heard.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters that a Secret Service agent – who was patrolling the course ahead of Mr Trump – spotted a rifle barrel coming out of a perimeter fence.

“He immediately engaged that individual, at which time the individual took off,” he said.

It is not yet known whether the suspect fired first or fired a round at all or if only the Secret Service fired.

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Secret Service move Trump to safety after shots heard

A witness spotted the man fleeing the scene in a black Nissan and managed to take photos of the car and number plate.

Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was arrested after his vehicle was stopped by local police, Sky News’s US partner network NBC News reported, citing three senior law enforcement officials.

Officers later searched the area where the man, believed to be Routh, was spotted and found an AK-47-style rifle with a scope, two rucksacks and a GoPro.

Earlier Martin County Sheriff William Snyder described how his officers followed the suspect’s vehicle for a while before making a “felony stop”.

“Our road units picked the vehicle up and we waited a while. We didn’t stop him right away. We didn’t want a high-speed chase.

“So we were able to wait until we had adequate units, surrounded the vehicle, and forced it to a stop.”

He added they managed to take the suspect into custody peacefully.

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What we know about what happened so far

Afterwards, a statement from Mr Trump said: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumours start spiralling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!

“Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me.

“Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again. May God bless you.”

Mr Trump has since returned to his Mar-a-Lago resort.

President Joe Biden said in a statement that he had been briefed on the “apparent assassination attempt” and was “relieved that the former president is unharmed”.

“As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country,” he said, adding that he has directed his team “to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety”.

A White House statement said earlier: “The president and vice president have been briefed about the security incident at the Trump International Golf Course, where former president Trump was golfing.

“They are relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team.”

It comes two months after the Republican presidential nominee sustained an ear injury during an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania in July.

The gunman, who was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot dead by the Secret Service at the scene.

The attempt on Mr Trump’s life led to the resignation of Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle, who admitted to Congress that her agency had its “most significant operational failure” in decades.

The suspect who has been arrested in connection with an “apparent assassination attempt” on Donald Trump has been named.

Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was identified by three senior law enforcement officials, Sky News’s US partner network NBC News reported.

He is believed to be the man shot at by the US Secret Service after gunshots were heard near to where Mr Trump was playing at his Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach just after 1.30pm local time on Sunday.

Election latest: Trump ‘safe’ after ‘gunshots in his vicinity’

An AK-47 type assault rifle weapon and a scope, two backpacks and a GoPro device were recovered at the scene, Palm Beach County sheriff Ric Bradshaw said in a news conference.

It comes just nine weeks after the Republican presidential nominee was injured after another such attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in July.

What do we know so far?

Just after 7.30pm UK time, the Trump campaign released a statement to say Mr Trump was “safe following gunshots in his vicinity”.

It is believed Mr Trump was taking part in a round at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach at the time the shots were heard.

The FBI later confirmed it was investigating what “appears to be an attempted assassination of former president Trump”.

Palm Beach County sheriff Mr Bradshaw said the gunman was about 400 to 500 yards away from Mr Trump and hidden in shrubbery while the former president played golf at a nearby hole.

He said the Secret Service agent – who was patrolling the course ahead of Mr Trump – spotted a rifle barrel coming out of a perimeter fence surrounding the course.

“He immediately engaged that individual, at which time the individual took off,” Mr Bradshaw said.

Officials said it remains unclear whether the suspect fired first – or fired at all – or whether only the Secret Service fired.

Police ‘surrounded vehicle’ of suspect

A witness spotted a man, believed to be Routh, fleeing the scene in a black Nissan SUV and managed to take photos of the car and number plate. Police then alerted the neighbouring Martin County Sheriff’s Office which pulled over the vehicle and detained the suspect.

Martin County sheriff William Snyder told reporters his officers followed the suspect vehicle for a while before making a “felony stop”.

“Our road units picked the vehicle up and we waited a while. We didn’t stop him right away. We didn’t want a high-speed chase,” he said.

“So we were able to wait until we had adequate units, surrounded the vehicle, and forced it to a stop.”

A witness said he saw “20 or more cop cars flying from nearby streets” as he described the emergency response outside Mr Trump’s golf course.

“From what I saw, five black unmarked SUVs blocked in a grey Mercedes in front of the golf course,” Max Egusquiza told the AP news agency.

“There were about 20 or more cop cars flying from nearby streets,” he said.

Suspect was ‘lying in wait’

Mr Snyder told WPTV that Routh was “not armed” when he was taken out of the car.

He said he had a calm, flat demeanour and showed little emotion when he was stopped.

“The suspect did not question why he was being pulled over,” Mr Snyder said.

Palm Beach State’s Attorney Dave Aronberg later told MSNBC that Routh was “lying in wait” for Mr Trump and aimed at the Secret Service until the agent fired at him.

He said Routh was “pretty quiet” and “pretty compliant” with officers when they pulled him over and isn’t sure if he has said anything since he was taken into custody.

Mr Aronberg said he does not believe Routh would have to fire a shot in order for him to be charged with attempted assassination.

What has Trump said?

Mr Trump was taken back to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach after the scare.

He later said in a fundraising email that he was safe.

“There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumours start spiralling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” the email said.

“Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER! I will always love you for supporting me.

“Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again. May God bless you.”

Mr Trump’s Republican running mate, vice presidential nominee JD Vance, said he will be hugging his children “extra tight” and “saying a prayer of gratitude” after what appears to be an attempt on Mr Trump’s life.

“I’m glad President Trump is safe. I spoke to him before the news was public and he was, amazingly, in good spirits,” Mr Vance wrote on X.

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“Still much we don’t know, but I’ll be hugging my kids extra tight tonight and saying a prayer of gratitude.”

Meanwhile, senator Lindsey Graham, one of Mr Trump’s top congressional allies, posted on X to say he is in “good spirits” after speaking with him.

Has the White House responded?

Shortly after details of the “apparent assassination attempt” emerged, the White House said in a statement: “The President and Vice President have been briefed about the security incident at the Trump International Golf Course, where former President Trump was golfing.

“They are relieved to know that he is safe. They will be kept regularly updated by their team.”

President Joe Biden later said in a statement that he had been briefed on the “apparent assassination attempt” and was “relieved that the former president is unharmed”.

“As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country,” he said, adding that he has directed his team “to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former president’s continued safety”.

Kamala Harris, the vice president and Democratic presidential nominee, also said she was “glad” her rival for the presidency was safe after gunshots were heard “in his vicinity”.

Writing on X, she said: “Violence has no place in America.”

Ms Harris’s running mate Tim Walz said he and his wife Gwen were “glad to hear” the former president was safe.

At least eight migrants have died off the coast of France while attempting to cross the English Channel – as new data reveals 801 people arrived on the UK’s shores yesterday.

The latest government figures show those who arrived made their journey on Saturday in 14 boats.

It is the second-highest number of arrivals this year. The current record for the highest number of arrivals in one day this year so far is 882 in 15 boats on 18 June.

The deaths occurred after a vessel “tore apart on the rocks” off Ambleteuse in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France overnight, a regional official said.

Some 51 survivors of the disaster were rescued. Six were taken to hospital, including a 10-month-old baby suffering from hypothermia.

“Driven by profit, human traffickers are putting more and more lives at risk, selling crossings in dangerous conditions on ill-suited boats,” the official, Jacques Billant, said. “This is literally leading them to their deaths.

“The boats are overloaded, of poor quality, underinflated, without proper flooring, underpowered, and lack life jackets for all passengers.”

Only one in six people on the boat had a life jacket, he added.

It comes as French authorities rescued some 200 people off the coast of Calais over a 24-hour period between Friday and Saturday night.

A boat carrying migrants that was in poor condition was located off the coast of Le Portel, a French coastal town, and 55 people were rescued.

Elsewhere, 61 people were picked up off the coast of La Becque d’Hardelot, 48 people were recovered near a lighthouse and at the end of the day 36 more were rescued, French authorities said.

All of those rescued were brought back to land.

French authorities said they monitored 18 attempts to launch boats across the Channel on Saturday.

Responding to the disaster, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: “It’s awful. It’s a further loss of life.”

He added that the government has been “discussing how we go after those gangs, in cooperation upstream with other European partners”.

Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UK’s refugee and migrant rights director, said: “This is yet another appalling and avoidable tragedy and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who’ve died.

“These perilous crossings are seemingly becoming more and more dangerous, suggesting smugglers are taking greater chances with people’s lives as they try to evade detection efforts by the UK and French authorities.”

He added: “The government’s ‘smash the gangs’ slogan and its security-heavy approach is contributing to the death toll because the refusal to establish safe asylum routes means these flimsy vessels controlled by people smugglers are the only real option for desperate people fleeing persecution.”

Mr Valdez-Symonds added: “Until UK ministers and their counterparts in France start sharing responsibility over the need for safe routes, we should expect this weekend’s tragedy to keep repeating itself time and time again.”

It comes less than two weeks after at least 12 people, including 10 women and girls, died after a boat with dozens of migrants tore apart in the English Channel.

The French coastguard said more than 65 people were rescued after the vessel got into difficulties off the coast of Cap Gris-Nez.

France’s interior minister Gerald Darmanin said only eight of the 70 people on board had lifejackets.

It was the deadliest incident so far this year, which had already seen 25 people die attempting to cross the Channel.

At least 45 people have died in Channel crossings so far this year.

More than 21,000 people crossed the English Channel in small boats between January and September this year, government figures show.