An attempt to assassinate Donald Trump was thwarted by law enforcement officials on Sunday, as they identified the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh. The incident unfolded outside the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Routh was discovered hiding in bushes with an AK-47 rifle equipped with a scope, aiming towards the direction Trump was in.
The gunman was positioned approximately 300 to 500 yards away from Trump. Authorities reported that the Secret Service agents spotted Routh and fired at him around 1:30 pm local time. The suspect fled the scene, leaving behind the firearm, two backpacks, and a Go-Pro camera.
Following a photograph of the suspect’s vehicle taken by a witness, law enforcement personnel traced Routh to Martin County after he escaped from Palm Beach County, arresting him on I-95 Interstate Highway. The location was approximately a 45-mile drive north of the Trump golf course.
Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of West Palm Beach stated during a press conference that Routh was subdued without any weapons on him when apprehended by authorities. While stopping the suspect’s vehicle, Sheriff William D. Snyder of Martin County reported that Routh displayed calm behavior and showed little emotion.
Records indicate that the 58-year-old Routh spent most of his life in North Carolina before moving to Kaaawa, Hawaii in 2018, where he operated a company constructing sheds with his son. However, neighbors of Routh claimed that he and his family had only recently relocated to Hawaii in May of this year.
According to online records from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, Routh had a conviction in 2002 for possession of a weapon of mass destruction. He had previously stated online that he voted for Trump in 2016 but later became disenchanted with him.
Routh was active on social media discussing the conflict in Ukraine and had set up a website to raise funds and recruit volunteers to travel to Kyiv and join the fight against the Russian invasion. Photos on the website depicted Routh smiling, wearing a T-shirt and jacket with the American flag motif.
Voter records show that he was an independent voter but had participated in the Democratic primary in Guilford County, North Carolina, in March of this year. Following the attack on Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July, Routh urged Biden and Harris to visit injured victims and attend the funeral of a firefighter who lost his life at the event.
In 2003, Routh was sentenced for driving without a license, carrying a concealed weapon, and hit-and-run charges. In 2010, he was convicted of possession of stolen property. A neighbor of Routh in Greensboro, interviewed anonymously by WGHP, a subsidiary of NewsNation, described him as acting oddly, but never expected him to be involved in such an incident.
The neighbor mentioned that it was not surprising to hear about the firearm incident, as firearms were frequently seen at Routh’s residence over the years. She recalled the last conversation she had with him was in May before he moved to Hawaii, noting that everything seemed normal at that time.
“He told me it was his last day here, hugged me, said goodbye – yes, he really hugged me,” she said.
On his final day, Routh gave the neighbor a shirt as a gift from Hawaii and hired her son to assist with the move.
“I thought he was just living life with his girlfriend in Hawaii, never expected him to attempt to assassinate the president; it’s just crazy,” she concluded.