Gunman lurked for hours before Trump’s last-minute game of golf

While his motive for allegedly planning to target Trump has not been revealed, the suspect had said in the past on social media that he voted for the Republican in 2016 before souring on him.

On the perimeter of Trump’s golf course on Monday, bright orange cones, barricades, police cars and officers shielded all corners of the club.

The incident has shocked West Palm Beach and neighbouring towns.

Shelby Stevens, a 52-year-old Trump supporter from West Palm Beach, told the BBC: “No matter how much security you have and everything else, if someone is willing to give their life to take someone else’s, it can happen.”

Cosme Blanco has lived just a few blocks away from the course for most of his life, where he said Trump comes as often as twice a week when he’s not campaigning.

The 61-year-old Trump supporter said the security presence around the golf club is typically not overwhelming. But all that changed on Sunday, when Blanco ran outside five minutes after shots were fired to see helicopters circling the neighbourhood.

“I was concerned. I’m going to be 62 years old and I’ve never seen America change this much,” said the Cuban immigrant.

Blanco said it would not be hard for a suspect to target Trump at his golf course.

The former president travelled there in a motorcade that would have taken about 12 minutes to go from Mar-a-Lago across a bridge overlooking the Lake Worth Lagoon.

“If they see the motorcade coming, I’m sure at that point they know he’s going to play golf – it’s common sense,” Blanco said.