On Sunday afternoon, former President Donald Trump was reportedly the target of an attempted assassination, according to the FBI. The incident involved a suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, who was seen with a rifle at Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. The suspect is now in custody.
The event began around 1:30 p.m. ET at the Trump International golf course where Trump was playing. It ended when Routh’s vehicle was spotted on Interstate 95, miles away from the golf course. This occurrence follows a previous assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, two months prior.
Routh appeared in a federal courtroom in West Palm Beach on Monday, facing two gun-related charges: possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He informed the federal judge that he has no savings to support his defense and disclosed that he has a 25-year-old son. The judge ordered Routh to remain in custody until a formal arraignment on September 30.
Data from Routh’s cellphone provider indicated that he had been in the vicinity of the golf course for nearly 12 hours, from 1:59 a.m. to 1:31 p.m. When apprehended, local prosecutors ensured he would remain in custody ahead of likely federal charges.
The sequence of events began when a Secret Service agent ahead of Trump on the golf course spotted a rifle barrel protruding from a fence. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw explained that the agent immediately engaged the suspect, who then fled. The agent’s vigilance occurred in an area where three holes of the golf course converge near an intersection of two large roads.
Secret Service agents fired four to six rounds at the suspect from a long distance, according to Rafael Barros, special agent in charge of the Miami field office. It remains unclear if the suspect also fired his weapon. The suspect fled toward I-95 and was apprehended less than two miles to the east. Trump was confirmed to be safe and unharmed.
At the scene, law enforcement found an AK-47-style rifle with a scope, two backpacks containing ceramic tile, and a GoPro camera. The rifle was identified as an SKS-style rifle, a precursor to the AK-47.
A key witness to the incident took a picture of Routh’s license plate as he fled the scene, which helped authorities track the suspect to Interstate 95. Law enforcement located Routh’s vehicle, a black Nissan SUV, and he was arrested shortly thereafter. The license plate on Routh’s vehicle was reported stolen from another vehicle.
Ryan Wesley Routh is described as a former Trump voter and a supporter of Ukraine. He has a long criminal history, including a conviction for possessing a weapon of mass destruction. Routh had also voted in the recent Democratic primary election in North Carolina, despite being unaffiliated with any party. Additionally, he has made several small donations to Democratic campaigns via the fundraising platform ActBlue.
Further investigation is underway as more details about the incident continue to surface.
NPR deputy national editor Russell Lewis contributed to this report.
