Last Sunday, an attempted assassination against former president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump occurred at the West Palm Beach Golf Course in Florida. The state governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, announced on Tuesday (September 17) that the state has initiated a criminal investigation into the case.
“Public has the right to know the truth behind this assassination attempt,” DeSantis stated during a press conference on Tuesday morning. “I have instructed all state government agencies to act swiftly in order to uncover the truth and hold the suspects accountable.”
The suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, has been detained pending trial. Authorities reported that last Sunday, while Trump was playing golf, Routh attempted to aim at Trump by pushing the muzzle of a gun through the fence, but was promptly spotted by Secret Service agents. After the agents fired shots, Routh fled the scene and was later apprehended on a highway.
Trump, in a live broadcast on social media platform X on Monday (September 16) night, recounted being “grabbed” by agents and swiftly placed into a golf cart when the shots rang out. He commended the agent who was with him for handling the situation effectively.
“We got into the cart, everything went very smoothly. I was with an agent, and the agent did a fantastic job,” Trump said.
In an interview with The Washington Post on Monday, Trump mentioned that the agents chose to evacuate him from the area using a “very fast golf cart” during the second assassination attempt, rather than tackling him.
According to law enforcement, Routh did not see Trump at the time and did not fire any shots. On Monday, Routh was charged with federal gun crimes, including illegal possession of a firearm and defacing the serial number on a gun.
State-level investigation will run concurrently with the ongoing federal investigation, which may lead to additional charges against Routh.
“We strongly urge Florida to hold the suspect accountable according to the law,” DeSantis said. “Florida has the appropriate jurisdiction to do so, to bring forth suitable charges and administer appropriate punishment.”
“I believe that this (assassination attempt) could be a clear violation of state laws,” he continued.
“I think this is a crime that should result in a life sentence,” DeSantis stated. “I believe, for the people of Florida and our nation, holding accountable for the most serious charges is really important.”
DeSantis emphasized, “Of course, they have to investigate and prove it, they have to bring charges and get consent to proceed, but I believe they can do it.”
Federal gun charges can carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Routh’s arraignment is scheduled for September 30th.