3rd Donald Trump Assassination Bid Foiled? Man With Guns, Fake Ids Arrested Near California Rally

California: A man armed with a shotgun, loaded handgun and ammunition was arrested from the checkpoint at the venue of Donald Trump 's rally in California, hinting at another possible assassination attempt. This is the third assassination bid since the Pennsylvania attack on Trump and a fourth security threat on the Republican presidential nominee.

Armed Man Arrested from Trump Rally Venue

A Nevada man with a shotgun, loaded handgun, ammunition and several fake passports in his vehicle was arrested at a security checkpoint outside Donald Trump 's rally Saturday night in the Southern California desert, authorities said. He was released the same day on $5,000 bail.

The suspect, a 49-year-old resident of Las Vegas, was driving an unregistered black SUV with a “homemade” license plate that was stopped by deputies assigned to the rally in Coachella, east of Los Angeles, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said at a news conference Sunday afternoon.

The driver claimed to be a journalist but it was unclear if he had the proper credentials. Deputies noticed the interior of the vehicle was “in disarray” and a search uncovered the weapons and ammo, along with multiple passports and driver licenses with different names, Bianco said.

Another Assassination Attempt on Donald Trump ?

With less than a month left for the US Presidential Elections 2024, this is the third assassination bid on Trump. The man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine, the department said in a statement.

“This incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event,” the Saturday statement said. Trump had not yet arrived at the rally at the time of the arrest, the sheriff said Sunday. The suspect is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 2, 2025, according to online records.

Bianco declined to speculate about the suspect's motives or frame of mind. “We know we prevented something bad from happening, and it was irrelevant what that bad was going to be," Bianco said. The man made it past an outer security boundary and was stopped at an inner perimeter patrolled by the sheriff's department, Bianco said. Another security checkpoint closer to the rally site was operated by the Secret Service.

“The U.S. Secret Service assesses that the incident did not impact protective operations and former President Trump was not in any danger,” the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement Sunday. “While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing.” Media members, as well as VIP ticket holders, were routed through a number of intersections manned by state and local law enforcement officers before arriving at a large, grassy area where drivers were asked to open hoods and trunks, and each vehicle was searched by a K-9 officer. Other general ticket holders were directed to a site roughly 3 miles away from the rally, where they were boarded onto buses and driven to the site.

Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the arrest.

Three Assassination Bids on Trump So Far

Trump Shot At During his Pennsylvania Rally

The first assassination attempt was made in July when Donald Trump was addressing a rally in Pennsylvania. Out of nowhere, gunshots were fired at him, causing him to duck after a gunshot pierced through his ear leaving him bloodied. On being shot, Trump immediately ducked and hid behind the podium; multiple gunshots followed and immediately, the Secret Security Service came forward on stage to protect him. He was surrounded by them and was taken away from the stage; Trump was conscious after the attack and was seen shouting ‘Fight! Fight! Fight!’ with his hand raised up in the air. In a statement, Trump said, "I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. Knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. God bless America!”

Gunshots Fired at Trump's Golf Club

Last month in September, Trump had returned to Florida and his campaign had not announced any public plans for Trump on the weekend. Donald Trump was the target of what the FBI said “appears to be an attempted assassination” at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, just nine weeks after the Republican presidential nominee survived another attempt on his life. The former president said he was safe and well, and authorities held a man in custody. US Secret Service agents stationed a few holes up from where Trump was playing noticed the muzzle of an AK-style rifle sticking through the shrubbery that lines the course, roughly 400 yards away. An agent fired and the gunman dropped the rifle and fled in an SUV, leaving the firearm behind along with two backpacks, a scope used for aiming and a GoPro camera, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said. The man was later stopped by law enforcement in a neighbouring county. An AK-47 rifle was discovered in the bushes, per a local law enforcement agency.

Armed Man Arrested from California Rally Venue

As mentioned earlier, this is the third assassination attempt made on Trump in the last four months of his election campaign. While the intentions of the armed man arrested have not been identified, superficially, it appears to be a possible assassination attempt because the man was armed and also had fake passports which creates suspicion.

(Inputs from AP)