Man Arrested With Loaded Guns Near Trump's Rally
- 14.10.2024, 8:28
The sheriff announced the attempted assassination.
A shotgun, loaded pistol and ammunition were found in an SUV of a resident of Nevada near the venue of Donald Trump's Saturday rally in the Coachella Valley (California). He was arrested in front of the Republican supporters' gathering point, the Associated Press reports.
The man was identified by authorities as Wem Miller, 49, from Las Vegas. He was detained Saturday around 5 p.m. local time about half an hour before Trump's rally.
Miller was taken to a local detention center “for possession of a loaded firearm and a large-capacity magazine.” He was later released on $5,000 bail.
“This incident did not affect the safety of former President Trump or participants in the event,” law enforcement officials said.
According to a prisoner database cited by the Associated Press, the suspect is due to appear in court on January 2, 2025.
According to Riverside County Sheriff Bianco of Chad, Miller probably intended to assassinate Trump, but police thwarted the plan. At one of the checkpoints, the man presented fake passes for VIPs and the press.
“They were different enough to alarm the cops,” Bianco said. “We probably thwarted another assassination attempt.”
The sheriff described the attacker as a member of a right-wing anti-government group. He noted that Miller is a registered Republican who holds a master's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
In 2022, a man ran for the Nevada Legislature. During the election campaign, in a conversation with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, he motivated his decision to participate in the vote by the fact that "this country is captured by tyranny." Miller claimed to support checking voter rolls, tightening voter ID laws, reverting to paper ballots, and live-streaming the vote count.
The suspect told Southern California News Group on Sunday that he was “shocked” to be arrested and charged with attempting to attack Trump, whom he supports. The man assured that he arrived at the rally on a "special pass" provided by the head of the Republican Party of Clark County.
“These accusations are complete nonsense,” he said. "I am an artist, I am the last person who would cause violence and harm to anyone."
Miller noted that before that, he had attended Trump rallies with weapons in the trunk and was easily missed. According to the man, he purchased a firearm two years ago after receiving death threats.
The first attempt to assassinate a Republican took place in July at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooter — 20-year-old Thomas Crooks — was eliminated after a few seconds. The second attempt was made in September by 58-year-old Ryan Ruth. He watched Trump for 12 hours outside his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, but the Secret Service (USSS) did not search the perimeter of the course.