Local authorities identified a man who was arrested with a loaded gun at a rally hosted by former President Donald Trump in Southern California on Saturday as Vem Miller.
Miller, a 49-year-old Las Vegas resident was driving a black SUV at a checkpoint outside Trump’s rally in Coachella when Riverside County sheriff deputies found him to be in illegal possession of a shotgun, loaded handgun and a high-capacity magazine, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities say the suspect was taken into custody without incident and booked at a detention center in nearby Indio. Miller’s arrest took place around 5 p.m. local time when Trump’s rally was scheduled to begin.
Miller has since been released from the detention center on a $5,000 bail, local outlets reported. The Telegram reported that he is due to appear in court in January.
The sheriff’s office said the incident “did not impact the safety” of Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, or the rallygoers. Newsweek reached out to Trump’s campaign via email for comment on Sunday.
Chad Bianco, the Riverside County Sheriff and known supporter of Trump, told the Southern California News Group on Sunday that authorities had “probably stopped another assassination attempt.”
Trump has fallen victim to two assassination attempts in the past few months. Ryan Routh was arrested on September 15 after being found with a firearm at Trump International Golf Club where the former president was playing golf. Routh never fired the gun at Trump, but Secret Service agents fired at him as he pointed his rifle toward the West Palm Beach golf course in Florida.
On July 13, Trump was struck by a bullet that pierced his right ear at an outdoor campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, by 20-year-old shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, who fired rounds off a nearby roof. Crooks was then killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.
Bianco said Miller showed fake VIP and press passes at the checkpoint, which alerted authorities. “They were different enough to cause the deputies alarm,” Bianco said.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on October 12 in Coachella, California. Local authorities identified a man who was arrested with a loaded gun at a rally hosted by Trump in Southern California on Saturday as Vem Miller.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
Local outlets say that Miller is a registered Republican. He has a master’s degree from UCLA and campaigned for Nevada’s state assembly in 2022, but lost in the primary election, according to local daily newspaper The Press-Enterprise.
Bianco said he is part of a right-leaning anti-government group and considers himself a sovereign citizen, someone who does not believe they are subject to government laws unless they agree to them.
Meanwhile, Miller told the Southern California News Group on Sunday that he was “shocked” to be arrested and accused of trying to hurt the former president whom he is a supporter of.
Miller said he was at the California rally on a “special entry pass” given to him by a Republican Party associate and that he never had trouble when he attended Trump rallies in Nevada with weapons in his trunk. He said he thought the law would be the same in California.
Bianco said of Saturday’s incident: “I thought it’s not going to happen in Riverside County. We don’t have the same sicko issues and violent protests like they have in Los Angeles. We’re better than that. Go figure.”
The Sheriff praised his deputies, who worked in the desert heat, which reached almost 100 degrees that day. “I am extremely proud of the mental and physical effort our deputies showed all day,” Bianco said.
The Secret Service said in a statement: “The incident did not impact protective operations. The Secret Service extends its gratitude to the deputies and local partners who assisted in safeguarding last night’s events.”
Update 10/13/24, 6:02 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
