Man with shotgun held near Trump's rally

Washington: A man in illegal possession of a shotgun and a loaded handgun was arrested at an intersection near former US President Donald Trump's rally in Coachella, California, the police said as per media reports. The 49-year-old suspect, Vem Miller, was driving a black SUV when he was stopped at a security checkpoint by deputies, who located the two firearms and a "high-capacity magazine," BBC reported.

The US Secret Service said Trump "was not in any danger," adding that the incident did not impact protective operations. Miller was then taken into custody "without incident", the Riverside County Sheriff's office said, and booked on possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine. A local sheriff called the suspect a "lunatic" and his office added the encounter did not affect the safety of Trump or the rally's attendees.

While Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said it was impossible to speculate about what was in the mind of the suspect, he said he "truly believed" that his officers had prevented a third assassination attempt.