Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group Corp (DJT) surged by 4.23% in Monday’s pre-market trading following an attempted assassination on former President Donald Trump.
The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon at Trump’s Florida golf club, where an armed man was spotted near the club while Trump was present. Trump was quickly escorted to safety, and a Secret Service agent from his security detail fired at the suspect, who was seen with an assault rifle.
The suspect managed to escape the scene, but was later apprehended by local police on I-95. The assault rifle was recovered by authorities, and law enforcement sources have stated that they do not believe the suspect had a chance to fire at Trump.
Trump reassured his supporters of his safety in a statement, saying, “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!”
The White House confirmed that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been briefed about the situation and expressed relief at Trump’s safety.
The suspect, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, is a small construction company owner known for his regular criticism of Trump on social media. He has had previous run-ins with the law, including a standoff with police in 2002 and accusations of tax evasion. Routh had previously urged President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to visit those injured at a Trump rally in July.
This incident marks the second assassination attempt on Trump in recent months. The first occurred at a rally in Butler, Pa., two months ago.
The Secret Service, in collaboration with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office, is currently investigating the incident. Routh’s motives remain unknown.
