Secret Service member robbed at gunpoint during Biden’s trip to California
By Jack Forrest and Mary Kay Mallonee, CNN
(CNN) — A US Secret Service member fired their gun while being robbed at gunpoint Saturday night during President Joe Biden’s trip to California for a Hollywood fundraiser.
The Secret Service member was returning from a work assignment in Tustin, California, and “discharged their service weapon during the incident,” USSS spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement. It is unknown if the Secret Service member hit the suspect, he added.
“We are thankful that the employee did not sustain any injuries,” Guglielmi said.
The Tustin Police Department said the attack happened at 9:36 p.m. PT near a residential community, and the suspect stole the Secret Service member’s bag. Officers are now looking for a silver Infiniti FX35, or a similar looking vehicle, police said.
Biden had returned to his hotel prior to the incident following a star-studded campaign fundraiser in Los Angeles that featured a conversation between him and former President Barack Obama moderated by Jimmy Kimmel. The fundraiser, which raised more than $30 million for Biden’s reelection effort, also included guests George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jason Bateman, Jack Black and Barbra Streisand, among others.
Police say they have not found the suspect, but they did locate some of the Secret Service employee’s belongings in the area. Tustin Police are the primary investigators of the incident.
Last year, a Secret Service member on security detail for Naomi Biden, the president’s granddaughter, fired at suspects who were allegedly attempting to break into a parked and unoccupied US government vehicle in Washington, DC. Two individuals were charged in relation to that break-in earlier this year.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Barbra Streisand’s first name.
CNN’s Arlette Saenz and Adrienne Winston contributed to this report.
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