What we know about the suspect in the apparent assassination attempt on Trump

No injuries were reported during Sunday’s incident, and Routh now faces federal charges. Here’s what we know about Routh and the incident so far.

The Secret Service opened fire on a gunman

Law enforcement officials said a Secret Service agent spotted a shotgun barrel stuck through a chain-link fence in bushes near where Trump was playing golf Sunday on his West Palm Beach property, prompting the Secret Service to open fire .

“We’re not sure at this point if the individual was able to shoot our agents, but certainly our agents were able to get involved,” a Secret Service representative said at a news conference shortly after the incident.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, who conducted the news conference, estimated that Trump was 300 to 500 yards away when the Secret Service agent saw the barrel of the rifle.

According to a criminal complaint, Routh fled the scene after Secret Service protection opened fire.

Routh was identified by a witness and taken into custody

Bradshaw said a witness helped authorities identify the suspect using his vehicle.

“Luckily,” he said, “we were able to find a witness who came up to us and said, ‘Hey, I saw the guy come out of the bushes – he jumped into a black Nissan and I took a picture with the vehicle. and tag,” which was great.”

Bradshaw said law enforcement used the witness’ information to stop the vehicle on I-95 in Martin County, north of West Palm Beach, and apprehend the driver. He said the witness later identified the driver as the person he had seen running from the bushes on the golf course.

A sniper rifle was found at the scene

According to a criminal complaint, location data from a cellphone linked to Routh suggests he was in the area near the golf course about 12 hours before the apparent assassination attempt.

Officers who searched the fence area found an SKS-style rifle with a scope and two pouches tied to the fence, according to the criminal complaint. The complaint said the serial number on the gun was partially defaced.

Authorities said Sunday that the bags contained ceramics and that officials also found a GoPro camera at the scene.

Routh was taken into custody Sunday and eventually arraigned on charges of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, both felonies.

None of the charges mention attempted murder, although other charges may be pending.

Routh was reportedly convicted of a weapons charge

The Associated Press, citing North Carolina government records, reported that Routh was convicted in 2002 of possessing a weapon of mass destruction.

The AP said the records did not provide additional details, but separately noted that a 2002 story from the News and record The Greensboro, North Carolina newspaper reported that a 36-year-old man named Ryan Routh was arrested after a three-hour standoff with law enforcement in which he was accused of barricading himself in a roofing business after a traffic stop. He faced charges including possession of a weapon of mass destruction, which the News & Record said referred to a machine gun.

He once seemed willing to die in the war in Ukraine

The New York Times reported that Routh expressed his desire to die fighting in Ukraine’s war against Russia on social media.

His bio on Signal, an encrypted messaging platform, read in part: “Civilians must change this war and prevent future wars,” the Times reported.

The former construction worker spoke to the outlet in 2023 for a story about Americans traveling to Ukraine to help the war effort. The Times said he had no military experience, but said he had traveled to Ukraine and wanted to recruit Afghan soldiers to fight against Russia.

Routh has endorsed politicians on both sides of the aisle, including Trump

Routh wrote in a self-published book in 2023 that he previously voted for Donald Trump but was then swayed in his support, the Associated Press reports.

In the book, titled “Ukraine’s Unwinnable War,” Routh wrote of Iran: “You are free to assassinate Trump,” according to the AP. Routh also criticized the former president for the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

The AP reports that Routh has endorsed various politicians online, including Bernie Sanders, Tulsi Gabbard, Nicki Haley — and most recently Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Correction: September 16, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the gun recovered at the scene. Authorities eventually identified it as an SKS-style rifle. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office earlier identified it as an AK-47-style rifle, not an AK-47. The story also misidentified which official said “certainly, our agents were able to engage.” He was a Secret Service official, not the county sheriff. The story has been updated separately with new information.