An assassination attempt appears to have been prevented at Donald Trump’s rally in Coachella Valley, California after a man with a loaded weapon was arrested. Trump has now been targeted in multiple assassination attempts. With the elections being less than a month away, this new incident has added to ongoing fears about the frequency of such incidents.
Vem Miller was arrested outside Donald Trump’s Riverside County rally
According to a press release from the Riverside County Sheriff, deputies encountered the driver of a black SUV at a checkpoint at Avenue 52 and Celebration Drive intersection on Saturday at 4:59 p.m. The man was identified as 49-year-old Vem Miller, who lives in Las Vegas. The officials found the accused was illegally carrying a shotgun, a high-capacity magazine, and a loaded handgun. Following that, deputies took Miller into custody without incident.
Later, the 49-year-old was booked at the John J. Benoit Detention Center for possession of a loaded firearm and a high-capacity magazine. The sheriff’s office’s press release noted that the incident did not impact the safety of Donald Trump or the attendees at the rally.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Secret Service, and FBI also issued a joint statement on X (formerly Twitter) following the incident. It noted that no federal arrest had been made, but an investigation is ongoing. The statement also mentioned that the Riverside County incident “did not impact protective operations” and that “former President Trump was not in any danger.”
Police ‘truly do believe’ they prevented a third assassination attempt
According to PEOPLE, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco addressed the incident during a press conference. He said, “I truly do believe we prevented another assassination attempt.” Miller was reportedly released on $5,000 bail and is set to appear in court on a future date.
In July, Donald Trump suffered minor injuries to his ear after a shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooter, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed at the scene. The second attempt came in September when the former president was golfing near his Florida club. The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, was eventually captured after he attempted to flee.
