Suspect in apparent assassination attempt on former President Trump resides in Hawaii
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (HawaiiNewsNow) - The FBI is investigating a second apparent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump just about two months after the Republican presidential nominee survived another attempt on his life.
The suspect has been identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh.
Records show he lived in North Carolina for most of his life and transplanted to Hawaii in 2018.
Routh made his initial federal court appearance Monday morning where he was charged with two federal gun crimes — possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Additional and more serious charges are possible as the investigation continues.
The apparent assassination attempt happened on Sunday around 1:30 p.m. when Trump was golfing at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Court documents said a Secret Service agent that was walking the perimeter of the golf club saw what appeared to be “a rifle poking out of the tree line.” He was about 400 yards away from Trump.
According to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, an agent fired toward the bushes and the gunman dropped the rifle and fled in an SUV.
Routh left the rifle behind along with a two backpacks, a digital camera, a loaded SKS-style, a scope for aiming, and a bag of food.
He was said to be camped out in the area for nearly 12 hours before being discovered.
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A witness who saw Routh running toward his vehicle, reported his license plate number to police before he sped off. Within minutes, the FBI tracked down Routh using cellphone information and took him into custody without incident.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office released body cam video on Monday morning showing the moment Routh was apprehended.
Shortly after the incident, Trump sent an email to his supporters saying: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!”
JD Vance posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Trump was “amazingly, in good spirits.”
President Joe Biden shared on X that he is “relieved” the Trump was unharmed.
Vice President Kamala Harris also shared “Violence has no place in America.”
According to a criminal complaint, Routh was convicted of felonies in North Carolina in December 2002 and March 2010.
Routh was registered as an “unaffiliated” voter in North Carolina in 2012. He also voted in North Carolina’s Democratic primary in March of this year.
In recent years, Routh appeared to have made social media posts in support of Ukraine and claims to have visited the country, saying he was “willing to die” in the fight against Russia.
Court records show besides a few traffic infractions, Routh has no criminal record in Hawaii.
During the hearing, Routh gave routine to court officials about his work status and income, saying he has no real estate or assets, aside from two truck worth about $1,000, both located in Hawaii.
In 2018, Routh moved to Kaaawa to go in business with his adult son building small wooden sheds. According to his LinkedIn page, the structures would “help address the highest homelessness rate in the United States due to unparalleled gentrification.”
Hawaii News Now interviewed Routh for a story about drenching rains at his Kaaawa home that same year.
Neighbors HNN spoke with had nothing but nice things to say about the 58-year-old. Some called him a skilled carpenter who was known for helping people in the area with home improvement projects.
“He built my house for free, you know. He was always willing to give, always willing to help. It blows my mind he would do something like that,” said Easton Trinin, Routh’s neighbor.
In a statement to CNN, Routh’s son said: “Ryan is my father, and I don’t have any comment beyond a character profile of him as a loving and caring father, and honest, hardworking man. I don’t know what’s happened in Florida, and I hope things have just been blown out of proportion, because from the little I’ve heard, it doesn’t sound like the man I know to do anything crazy, much less violent. He’s a good father, and a great man, and I hope you can portray him in an honest light.”
We’re told Routh considered also donating to a tiny home project in 2019 that the state and Home Aid Hawaii constructed in Kalaeloa. A source who worked on the project told HNN Investigates that in the end, he decided not to donate.
The source also described Routh as opinionated but added he “never showed any kind of propensity towards violence” during their interactions.
It’s unclear why Routh was in Florida. The FBI is working to determine a motive.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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