Suspect arrested on weapons charges near Trump rally released
A Las Vegas man arrested at a security checkpoint near Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's California rally on Saturday was released from custody and is facing two charges.
Vem Miller, 49, was driving a black SUV and was stopped by deputies assigned to monitor the rally in the Coachella Valley, located east of Los Angeles. Miller was charged with possession of a loaded firearm and a high-capacity magazine, according to records from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.
He was released on Saturday on $5,000 bail, according to the office's records. The terms of his bail were not immediately available.
The sheriff's office on Saturday said the incident "did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event." Miller was arrested at approximately 5 p.m. local time, and Trump took the stage at 5:37.
The U.S. Attorney's Office, U.S. Secret Service and FBI in a Sunday statement confirmed that "President Trump was not in any danger."
"While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing," the statement said.
Miller told the Southern California News Group on Sunday that he was "shocked" by law enforcement accusations the he was potentially trying to harm Trump.
“I’m an artist, I’m the last person that would cause any violence and harm to anybody,” he said, according to the outlet.
The former president narrowly survived an assassination attempt in July, when a gunman's bullet grazed his ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. In September, another man was charged with trying to assassinate Trump after Secret Service agents discovered him hiding with a rifle near Trump's Palm Beach golf course. He pleaded not guilty.
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Contributing: Reuters; Palm Springs Desert Sun
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vem Miller free on bail after gun arrest near Trump California rally