Who is Ryan Wesley Routh? What’s known about suspect in possible Trump assassination attempt

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Who is Ryan Wesley Routh? What’s known about suspect in possible Trump ************** attempt

A picture is emerging of the suspect who officials say pointed a high-powered rifle at former president Donald Trump on a Florida golf course Sunday afternoon. 

Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was armed with an AK-47-style rifle and was 300-500 yards away from Trump when members of the former president’s Secret Service detail spotted him, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. Routh was a few holes ahead of where the president was golfing at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, officials said. 

Members of the Secret Service detail opened ***** at Routh, according to law enforcement officials. It’s not clear if Routh fired any shots. Bradshaw said a witness saw a man jumping out of the bushes and fleeing in a ****** Nissan. The car was pulled over and the driver detained and identified as the suspect. Law enforcement found the rifle, a scope, two backpacks with ceramic tile and a GoPro camera in the bushes at the scene. 

The FBI and U.S. Secret Service are investigating the incident, which the FBI said “appears to be an attempted ************** of former President Trump.” 

As the investigation continues, here’s what we know about Routh:

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Photos that show an AK-47 rifle, a backpack and a Go-Pro camera on a fence outside Trump International Golf Club taken after an apparent ************** attempt of *********** presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, are displayed during a news conference at the Palm Beach County Main Library, Sunday. Sept. 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Stephany Matat / AP

A decades-long ********* history

Routh’s most recent address is listed in Hawaii, but he spent most of his life in North Carolina, according to property records. Routh owned Camp Box Honolulu, a shed-building company, according to his LinkedIn profile. The account also says that he studied at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and graduated in 1998. 

Records show his problems with the law go back to the 1990s and include less serious charges, like writing bad checks. But in 2002, he was charged with a felony — possession of a ******* of mass destruction — according to North Carolina Department of Corrections records. 

Between 2002 and 2010, Routh was also charged with a number of misdemeanors, including a hit-and-run accident, resisting arrest and a concealed weapons violation, records show.

Suspect criticized Trump online 

Routh voted Democratic in the 2024 primary election in North Carolina, and he voted in person, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections. He appears to be registered as an unaffiliated voter. 

His X account, which has now been suspended, included a number of posts about Trump. 

“@realDonaldTrump While you were my choice in 2106, I and the world hoped that president Trump would be different and better than the candidate, but we all were greatly disappointment and it seems you are getting worse and devolving,” he wrote in a June 2020 post. “I will be glad when you gone.” 

He also referenced the July 13 ************** attempt on Trump in multiple posts, suggesting that President Biden and Vice President Harris should visit the injured and attend the ******** of the Pennsylvania rally-goer who was *******.

A

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

account under Routh’s name was no longer online on Sunday evening.

Suspect was pointing rifle toward Florida golf course where Trump was golfing, officials say

08:34

Ukraine supporter 

Routh was passionate about fighting for Ukraine, even traveling overseas to ****** in the country’s war against Russia in 2022. 

“I am coming to Ukraine from Hawaii to ****** for your kids and families and democracy.. I will come and **** for you,” he wrote on X. 

In one post on LinkedIn, he shared a photo of himself in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. 

A CBS News review of Routh’s social media shows his pro-Ukraine views seeped into his public statements as well. He urged people, even those who didn’t have military skills, to take up arms for Ukraine. He was interviewed by several news organizations, including 

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

 and 

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

 in 2023, and 

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

 in 2022. He was quoted about his efforts to recruit volunteer fighters to aid Ukraine in its ****** against Russia’s invasion, though it wasn’t clear whether he had succeeded. 

“This is about good versus evil,” he told Newsweek Romania. 

Pat Milton

contributed to this report.

Kerry Breen

Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University’s Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News’ TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#Ryan #Wesley #Routh #Whats #suspect #Trump #************** #attempt

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up