A United States Secret Service agent was robbed at gunpoint in California during President Joe Biden's visit to Los Angeles for a fundraising event this weekend for the presidential election later this year. The incident occurred while the agent was returning from work on Saturday night. He was approached by the suspect in a residential community at Tustin, the US Secret Service (USSS) told the Associated Press.
Around 9.30 pm, someone reportedly called the Tustin Police Department to report a robbery. The agent’s bag was stolen from him, and he reportedly fired his gun during the confrontation. However, it is unclear if anybody was shot. The agent himself was not injured.
“We are thankful that the employee did not sustain any injuries,” USSS spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement, as quoted in a CNN report.
On Monday, the Tustin Police said they had not found the suspect, but some of the belongings from the agent’s bag were found in the area, CNN reported.
According to the report, President Biden had returned to his hotel before the incident occurred. The star-studded campaign fundraiser featured a conversation between him and former President Barack Obama moderated by Jimmy Kimmel. Other guests included Hollywood stars George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jason Bateman, Jack Black and Barbra Streisand, among others.
The fundraiser, which is meant for Biden’s re-election campaign, raised more than $30 million.
The United States Secret Service is a federal agency which is in charge of protecting US political leaders, their families, and visiting heads of state or government.