An ex-con in possession of several handguns attempted to break into the VIP area of a rally with a fake press badge

Attempt foiled near Donald Trump rally in California

A disturbing incident occurred this Saturday, October 12, at Coachella, California, where Donald Trump was holding a rally. A heavily armed man was apprehended near the event. Local law enforcement stressed that this intervention may have prevented another assassination attempt against the former Republican president.

Gunman arrested near the rally

The suspect, 49-year-old Las Vegas resident Vem Miller, was arrested by authorities while carrying a rifle, loaded pistol and high-capacity magazine in his vehicle. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, which released the information, said the incident did not compromise the safety of Donald Trump or attendees at the event. The suspect was released on $5,000 bail later that evening, and will appear in court next January on charges of illegal possession of weapons and ammunition.

Potential threat eliminated

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco welcomed the arrest, saying, “We probably prevented another assassination attempt.”

This incident comes after two recent attacks targeting Donald Trump, heightening concerns around his security. On July 13, the former president escaped an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, where a gunman opened fire, slightly wounding Trump in the ear and killing one person in the audience. Another individual had also been arrested in September for planning to shoot Donald Trump at one of his golf courses in Florida.

As the former president continues to seek increased protection, authorities remain on alert for potential new threats.