We were very close to discussing a national tragedy yet again. The U.S. Secret Service spotted a gun and opened fire at a golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, preventing an apparent second assassination attempt on President Donald Trump’s life. The suspected gunman, Ryan Wesley Routh, fled before being eventually apprehended almost 50 miles away.

The alleged assassin had chosen a place on the edge of the golf course. He placed body armor plates on the fence, had an “AK-47 style rifle with a scope” attached, and a GoPro filming the entire operation. Secret Service agents noticed the gun barrel sticking out of the fence and opened fire, scaring the gunman off.

Routh has been arraigned and charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and a firearm with an obliterated serial number. So far, no charges for an assassination attempt have been filed, but charges can be amended later as more information comes out.

Apparently, Routh has been very outspoken against Trump in the last few years, after originally voting for Trump in 2016 and then becoming disenfranchised  – and radicalized – later. He also tried to recruit soldiers to fight in Ukraine and rally support for the Ukrainian war.