The gunman was arrested less than two miles from the former site of The Ambassador Hotel, where Kennedy’s father, Sen. Robert Kennedy, was shot and killed in 1968. The property has since been redeveloped as the ‘Robert F. Kennedy Schools’ after the hotel was demolished back in 2005.
Kennedy expressed his gratitude for the quick-thinking actions of those around him who were able to intercept the suspect. In a tweet, he said he hoped that President Biden would grant him Secret Service protection after this incident.
“I’m very grateful that alert and fast-acting protectors from Gavin de Becker and Associates (GDBA) spotted and detained an armed man who attempted to approach me at my Hispanic Heritage speech at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles tonight,” Kennedy tweeted.
“Armed GDBA team members moved quickly to isolate and detain the man until LAPD arrived to make the arrest. I’m also grateful to LAPD for its rapid response,” he continued. “I am the first presidential candidate in history to whom the White House has denied a request for protection.”
