Ryan W Routh, the 58-year-old man suspected of plotting to assassinate Donald Trump, has been charged with two firearms-related offences in federal court a day after he was spotted with a rifle on the perimeter of the former US president's golf course in Florida.
Phone records suggest the suspect may have been lurking for nearly 12 hours, hiding in bushes with a loaded SKS semi-automatic rifle, according to court documents filed Monday.
Routh, who appeared briefly in federal court in West Palm Beach, did not fire any shots and never had Trump in his line of sight, the Secret Service said.
“The FBI is conducting its investigation of this incident as an attempted assassination of the former president,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe said at a news conference Monday afternoon.
Routh was arrested Sunday after allegedly fleeing the scene of the crime and is being held on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
U.S. Secret Service agents stationed on the golf course in front of Trump opened fire on the suspect after noticing the muzzle of a rifle protruding from a fence surrounding the course.
According to police, the gunman fled in an SUV, leaving behind the rifle, which was equipped with a scope, as well as two backpacks and a GoPro camera. Shortly afterward, heavily armed police officers stopped the man on Interstate 95, a busy highway in a neighboring county, and he did not resist.
Police say the license plate on his vehicle had been reported stolen from another car.
Second murder attempt in two months
Trump is scheduled to unveil a new cryptocurrency venture on Monday night at his private Florida club, Mar-a-Lago, where he lives, before resuming his presidential campaign for events in Michigan on Tuesday and New York on Wednesday.
The incident has raised fresh questions about the violent nature of American politics and how an armed suspect could get so close to Trump, just two months after another gunman shot him during a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing his ear with a bullet.
Trump's personal schedule has not been made public, so investigators will try to figure out how the gunman knew of his plans to play golf. However, the Republican presidential candidate is a passionate golfer and it is no secret that he likes to play a round every time he visits his home in Florida.
The Secret Service, which protects U.S. presidents and presidential candidates, has been under intense scrutiny since its botched handling of the attempted assassination of Trump in July.
The service beefed up Trump's security detail following the July 13 attack, in which the gunman was shot dead by responding officers. Trump was also scheduled to meet in person with the new Secret Service chief on Monday, after the former chief resigned following the July shooting.
Trump posted a message on social media on Sunday thanking the Secret Service and law enforcement for keeping him safe, calling them “brave and dedicated patriots” and adding that “it was certainly an interesting day!”
He also blamed President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democratic presidential nominee, for the apparent assassination attempt. He said the alleged gunman acted on Democrats' “highly inflammatory language,” though authorities have yet to offer evidence of any motive.
Biden and Harris were briefed on the matter and each issued a statement condemning political violence. Harris added that she was “deeply disturbed” by the day’s events and that “we must all do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to further violence.”
Biden said he had directed his team to ensure the Secret Service “has all necessary resources, capabilities and protective measures to ensure the continued safety of the former president.”
Searching for clues
According to court records, Routh has at least two prior felony convictions, both in North Carolina. In 2002, he pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered fully automatic weapon, according to the county district attorney's office, and was sentenced to probation. He was also convicted of possession of stolen property in 2010.
The FBI is likely reviewing Routh's prolific social media posts for clues about his alleged crime planning and motive for wanting to kill the president.
Records show Routh lived in North Carolina for most of his life before moving to Hawaii in 2018. In 2020, he made a social media post endorsing Trump’s reelection, but in more recent years, his posts have expressed support for Biden and Harris.
Routh is a staunch supporter of Ukraine and traveled there after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, seeking to recruit foreign fighters, according to an interview with The New York Times last year.
Ukrainian officials distanced themselves from Routh on Monday and the International Legion, where many foreign fighters serve in Ukraine, said it had no ties to Routh.
Profiles on X, Facebook and LinkedIn under Routh's name contained messages of support for Ukraine, as well as statements describing Trump as a threat to American democracy.
