Two guns and a box of ammo: Would-be assassin gets within 1km of Trump’s California rally

A man with a shotgun, a loaded handgun and ammunition in his vehicle was arrested at a security checkpoint outside Donald Trump’s rally in California.

Oct 14, 2024, updated May 22, 2025
FILE - Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump reacts following an assassination attempt at a campaign event in Butler, Pa., on Saturday, July 13, 2024. Trump Media surged in the first day of trading, Monday, July 15, following the assassination attempt. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
FILE - Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump reacts following an assassination attempt at a campaign event in Butler, Pa., on Saturday, July 13, 2024. Trump Media surged in the first day of trading, Monday, July 15, following the assassination attempt. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

The 49-year-old Las Vegas resident was driving a black SUV that was stopped by deputies assigned to the Saturday night rally in Coachella, east of Los Angeles, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

The man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine, the department said.

He was released on $US5000 ($A7400) bail.

“This incident did not impact the safety of former president Trump or attendees of the event,” the statement said.

The man is scheduled to appear in court in early 2025, according to online records.

Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt in July when a gunman’s bullet grazed his ear during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

In September, another man was charged with trying to assassinate Trump after Secret Service agents discovered him hiding with a rifle near the former president’s Palm Beach golf course. He pleaded not guilty.

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

With Reuters

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