Michael Steven Sandford
Treasure Island Hotel & Casino, Paradise, NV ·
Trump 2016 campaign rally
Latest update Wikipedia
2016 Donald Trump Las Vegas rally incident Target
Donald J. Trump
Perpetrator
Full name Michael Steven Sandford
Age at time 20
Date of birth 1995-08-13
Gender Male
Race / ethnicity White
Nationality British
Residence Hoboken, NJ (overstayed 90-day visa-waiver)
Education Did not complete secondary school in UK per defence filings
Occupation Unemployed; living out of his car in the months prior
Political affiliation Anti-Trump (no party affiliation reported)
Mental health (reported) Diagnosed with autism / Asperger's syndrome, OCD, anorexia; prior suicide attempt; once escaped a UK psychiatric hospital
Prior criminal record None reported
Prior weapons training Single session at Battlefield Vegas firing range two days before attempt - first time he had ever fired a gun
Online footprint Minimal documented online activity; planning carried out largely in person and via travel
Family background From Dorking, Surrey, UK; parents Lynne and Paul Sandford publicly stated their son was mentally ill and pleaded for leniency
Attempt & outcome
Weapons & equipment Attempted to seize officer's Glock 17 (9mm)
Rounds fired - perpetrator 0
Rounds fired - law enforcement 0
Distance to target -
Trump present Yes
Trump injured No
Bystander casualties 0 killed · 0 injured
Law-enforcement casualties 0 killed · 0 injured
Current status Convicted & deported
Sentence 12 months and 1 day in federal prison; deported to UK after 11 months
Preparation Drove from New Jersey to Las Vegas; visited a firing range to practice with a 9mm Glock; approached officer under guise of asking for Trump's autograph
Motive
Stated intent to kill Trump to prevent his election; told investigators he had been planning the attempt for approximately one year.
“Told investigators he tried to grab the officer's gun 'to shoot and kill Trump.'”
Key facts
- Approached officer asking for Trump's autograph before lunging for the holstered pistol
- Had overstayed a tourist visa-waiver and was in the U.S. illegally at the time
- Pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm
- Defence attorneys argued autism and OCD; judge cited prior planning as aggravating