FBI launches probe into hunting stand with sight line of Air Force One

The FBI is leading an investigation into a hunting stand found near Palm Beach International Airport that had a direct line of sight of where President Donald Trump exits Air Force One, authorities said.

In statement posted to X Sunday, FBI Director Kash Patel said U.S. Secret Service agents “spotted a suspicious stand near the AF1 zone in Palm Beach.”

The stand was discovered on Friday, hours before Trump arrived at the airport to attend an elite fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Patel told Fox News that the hunting stand has not been connected to any individual. He added that the bureau is flying in personnel to collect evidence from the scene and will analyze cell phone data in the area.

The discovery of the hunting stand comes about a month after Ryan Routh was convicted of trying to assassinate Trump in September 2024 at the president’s golf course in West Palm Beach, not far from the airport.

In July 2024, Trump was injured in the right ear when a gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop as the former president led a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One Trump supporter was killed and two other supporters were injured. A Secret Service agent killed the attacker, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks.

This article originally appeared on USA Today