Spokesman says Trump is safe after shots fired 'in his vicinity'

Donald Trump's campaign team said the Republican presidential candidate is safe after shots were fired "in his vicinity" in Florida on Sunday.

A spokesman for the US Secret Service also confirmed that Trump is in safety after reports of shots fired.

Few details emerged initially.

"No further details at this time," his spokesman Steven Cheung said in a brief statement issued by the Trump campaign, as did Secret Service Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi in a post on X.

It was initially completely unclear what exactly had happened and whether Trump himself was in danger at any time. US media reports were contradictory.

The former president was at his golf club in West Palm Beach in the US state of Florida during the incident on Sunday afternoon.

No official information yet

While the New York Post wrote shortly after the incident that the shots had not been aimed at Trump, television broadcaster CNN reported that the emergency services assumed that Trump had been the target. There was no official confirmation.

The police are to hold a press conference.

The New York Times quoted a spokeswoman for the Palm Beach police as saying that the incident took place on the grounds of the golf club.

"The intent right now is unknown," Teri Barbera, a spokeswoman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, told the New York Times.

A "person of interest" has been detained, Barbera added.

The White House has been informed

In Washington, the White House said that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been informed.

"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," the White House said in a statement.

On July 13, a gunman shot at Trump from a nearby rooftop at a campaign event in Pennsylvania.

Trump was injured by a bullet to his right ear and the perpetrator was shot dead by security forces shortly afterwards. One man died and two others were injured at the rally.