Saturday 21 / December / 2024
California: A man arrested at a security checkpoint near Donald Trump's California rally on Saturday faces gun charges, authorities said late on Sunday.
The man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine, according to the sheriff's office.
The 49-year-old man was stopped in a black SUV by deputies from the Riverside County sheriff's office and taken into custody without incident, according to the sheriff's office.
"The incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event," the office said in a statement.
The Republican presidential candidate's rally took place in the Coachella Valley, an area known for its annual music and arts festival.
What do we know about suspect?
The suspect was identified as Las Vegas resident Vem M., according to the sheriff's office.
"What we do know is he showed up with multiple passports with different names, an unregistered vehicle with a fake license plate and loaded firearms," Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said at a news conference.
"I truly do believe that we prevented another assassination attempt," he added, but said this belief was based on "speculation."
Jail records show the suspect, who resides in Las Vegas, was released on $5,000 (€4,573) bail on Saturday.
The man is scheduled to appear in court on January 2, 2025, according to online records.
Trump assassination attempts
There have already been two attempts to assassinate Trump from earlier this year.
The most significant incident was an attempt to assassinate Trump at a campaign rally during the 2024 presidential election, which resulted in two deaths, including the would-be assassin. It resulted in an injury to Trump's ear.
Another assassination attempt took place in September 2024 at the Trump International Golf Club in Florida.
The US Secret Service said the Florida shooter never had a line of sight on the Republican presidential candidate and that they had identified him while scouting ahead of Trump on the golf course.
The shooter in the earlier attempt in July was shot dead at the scene as law enforcement returned fire.
