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Ryan Wesley Routh

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Ryan Wesley Routh
Routh in custody after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump
Born1966 (age 57–58)
Guilford County, North Carolina, U.S.
Known forSuspect in the Trump International Golf Club shooting
MotiveUnder investigation
Details
DateSeptember 15, 2024
Location(s)Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida
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Ryan Wesley Routh is an American man who allegedly attempted to assassinate former U.S. president Donald Trump, the Republican Party nominee for the 2024 presidential election, on September 15, 2024. Routh's motives are currently under investigation.

On September 15, 2024, Secret Service agents shot at least four rounds at Routh, who was hiding with an SKS-style rifle[1] in shrubbery at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was allegedly pointing his weapon through the fence line of the golf course, 300–500 yards away from the former president, who was moving between holes five and six alongside Republican megadonor and real estate investor Steve Witkoff. Routh fled the scene, but was later arrested as the prime suspect.[2][3]

The update given by the FBI on September 16 mentioned that Routh had not fired his weapon.[4][5][2]

Personal life

Routh was born in 1966[6] in Guilford County, North Carolina.[7] He attended North Carolina A&T State University for two semesters in 1995.[8]

In 1991, Routh fought and chased a suspected rapist. For confronting the suspect, he was honored as a "super citizen" and awarded a "Law Enforcement Oscar" by the Greensboro chapter of the International Union of Police Associations.[9]

In 2004, Routh campaigned against the closing of a skateboard park built by his son and his teenage friends.[10] He told News & Record, "Let's make this a joint public-private venture instead of trying to squish these kids like a bug or telling them to go home and play video games."[11]

Routh started a business in Greensboro, United Roofing Co., where he worked as a roofing contractor.[12]

In 2018, Routh moved from Greensboro, North Carolina, to Kaʻaʻawa, Hawaii. There he started a shed-building business with his son.[13]

Criminal conduct

On December 15–16, 2002, Routh was convicted of possessing a firearm; resisting, delaying and obstructing a law enforcement officer and driving with license revoked after a three-hour stand off with police. He was pulled over while driving, and during the traffic stop he put his hand on a gun and then drove to a nearby business, where he barricaded himself inside.[14][15][16]

In 2003, he was sentenced for driving without a license, carrying a concealed weapon and hit-and-run. In 2010 he was convicted of possessing stolen goods. For each of these charges he was given probation.[17]

Attempted assassination of Donald Trump

Main article: Trump International Golf Club shooting
Police body camera footage of Routh's arrest following the attempted assassination on September 15, 2024

At 2:00 AM on September 15, 2024, Routh allegedly took a position at Trump's golf course. He was later spotted at 1:31 PM.[18] Afterwards, Routh was arrested as the potential suspect and later charged with two offenses: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with the serial number removed.[19] Additional charges may be brought, pending the full investigation.[20] On the day of his arraignment, he was seen smiling and laughing with his lawyer.[21] Footage of his arrest was also released to the public.[22]

Political activities

According to posts on his Twitter account in 2020, Routh has expressed shifting political views over the years. Routh said he made Donald Trump his "choice" in 2016, but by 2020, he voiced his dissatisfaction, stating, "I will be glad when you are gone."[23][24] Voting records showed that Routh requested an absentee ballot in 2016, but did not actually vote.[25] In a self-published e-book (Ukraine's Unwinnable War: The Fatal Flaw of Democracy, World Abandonment and the Global Citizen-Taiwan, Afghanistan, North Korea and the end of Humanity)[19] in 2023, he wrote about his stated previous support for Trump by stating, "I am man enough to say that I misjudged and made a terrible mistake". He further went on to write "you are free to assassinate Trump as well as me for that error in judgment".[26] The passage in question was specifically addressed to the Iranian government.[27]

Routh also supported Bernie Sanders in 2020, criticizing Joe Biden as "Sleepy Joe". His political stance evolved further in 2024, where he expressed concern over democracy in a post tagging Biden, and telling him his campaign slogan should be "Keep America Democratic and Free".[28] In 2020, he also supported Tulsi Gabbard, calling for an executive order on police misconduct​[29] and he made several small donations to the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue, contributing 19 times in 2019 and 2020 with amounts ranging from $1 to $25, as recorded by the Federal Election Commission.[30] By early 2024, he suggested a Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy ticket for the Republican primary.[31] In 2024, he voted in the Democratic primary in Guilford County, North Carolina.[17] Routh had additionally donated $140 to Democratic causes since 2019 and is registered in North Carolina as an independent voter.[26][32]

Routh claimed on his social media accounts, as well as in 2022 interviews with The New York Times, Newsweek Romania, and Der Tagesspiegel to have made supposed efforts to recruit foreign soldiers for Ukraine in its war against Russia.[15][33][34] Newsweek reported Routh had claimed to have fought in Ukraine,[35] while he told The New York Times he did not fight in Ukraine.[36] Routh said in a 2022 interview with a Romanian reporter in Kyiv that he flew to Ukraine to join the army in the months after Russia's full-scale invasion but learned that he was "not an ideal candidate" for the battlefield because he was in his mid-50s with no military experience. Later in 2022, Routh said in an interview that after he was rejected for military service, he began recruiting volunteer soldiers for the Ukrainian military.[37] Routh complained of roadblocks to Ukraine admitting foreign fighters, telling the publication Semafor that "Ukraine is very often hard to work with, they're afraid that anybody and everybody is a Russian spy".[38] Routh was filmed at an April 2022 protest in Independence Square in Kyiv.[39]

A former volunteer for Ukraine's International Legion, Evelyn Aschenbrenner, branded Ryan Wesley Routh as "delusional" and a "liar" over his claims that he recruited for the Ukrainian organization, saying Routh was "not, and never has been, associated with the International Legion or the Ukrainian Armed Forces at all". Aschenbrenner said of Routh "He was combative. He was argumentative. He refused repeatedly to understand basic army policy", further adding "There was delusions of grandeur and [he was] very disconnected from reality". The International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine said in a statement that Routh had "never been part of, associated with, or linked" to it "in any capacity."[40][41][42]

Routh has stated his support for Taiwan, and in his self-published text discussed its political status and called for international intervention to protect the island from China.[19] According to various posts on his Twitter account in 2023, Routh tagged the Haitian National Police and asserted that he had thousands of NATO-trained Afghan soldiers who "wish to serve for the Haiti national police at cheap wages."[43][44] He also claimed to have 1,000 soldiers with passports ready to fly.[43][44]

Other posts on social media accounts promoted COVID-19 conspiracy theories.[45]

See also

References

  1. ^ "READ: Criminal complaint against suspect in apparent Trump assassination attempt". September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Breen, Kerry; Schecter, Anna (September 16, 2024). "What's known about Ryan Wesley Routh, suspect in possible Trump assassination attempt on Florida golf course". CBS News. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  3. ^ "Trump assassination attempt: Who is suspect Ryan Routh?". Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  4. ^ "Trump Safe After Shooting Reported at His Golf Course". The New York Times. September 15, 2024. Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  5. ^ "Trump is safe following shooting at Florida golf course; suspect detained". CNN. September 15, 2024. Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  6. ^ "Suspect in Trump Assassination Attempt Is 58-Year-Old Ryan Routh". Yahoo News. September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  7. ^ Adam Goldman; Thomas Gibbons-Neff; Glenn Thrush; Najim Rahim (September 15, 2024). "Suspected Gunman Said He Was Willing to Fight and Die in Ukraine". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  8. ^ Stratta, Peter (September 16, 2024). "Suspected Trump gunman has multiple ties to Guilford County". WXLV. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  9. ^ Woodall, Bernie (August 26, 1991). "Police Organization Honors 'Super Citizen'". News and Record.
  10. ^ Schlosser, Jim (July 16, 2004). "Skateboard park closed". News and Record. p. 5. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  11. ^ "Thinking Out Loud". News and Record. July 19, 2004. p. 13. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  12. ^ "What Greensboro life was like for Ryan Routh, suspect in Trump assassination attempt". News and Record. September 16, 2024.
  13. ^ "5 things to know about the apparent assassination attempt on Trump at one of his golf courses". AP News. September 16, 2024. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024. Records show Routh, 58, lived in North Carolina for most of his life before moving in 2018 to Kaaawa, Hawaii, where he and his son operated a company building sheds, according to an archived version of the webpage for the business.
  14. ^ "5 things to know about the apparent assassination attempt on Trump at one of his golf courses". AP News. September 16, 2024. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Henderson, Barney; Lewis, Kaitlin (September 15, 2024). "Ryan Wesley Routh, would-be Trump assassin, fought in Ukraine, supports war". Newsweek. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  16. ^ "MAN WITH GUN BARRICADES SELF INSIDE BUSINESS". Greensboro News and Record. December 16, 2002. Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  17. ^ a b Mikkelsen, Emily; Skipper, Elijah; Melrose, Justyn (September 15, 2024). "Greensboro neighbor describes man accused of attempting Trump assassination, says 'a lot of people were afraid of him'". Fox 8. Retrieved September 15, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ "Donald Trump assassination attempt live: Suspect in Trump assassination attempt lay in wait for 12 hours". The Telegraph. September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  19. ^ a b c Picheta, Rob; Yeung, Rob; Rebane, Teele; Harvey, Lex (September 16, 2024). "What we know about Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in the apparent second Trump assassination attempt". CNN. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  20. ^ Perez, Evan; Lybrand, Holmes; Williams, Michael; Cole, Devan (September 16, 2024). "Suspect in apparent assassination attempt of Trump charged, may have been lying in wait for nearly 12 hours". CNN. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  21. ^ Coen, Susie (September 16, 2024). "Suspect in Trump assassination attempt laughs in court". The Telegraph. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  22. ^ Smith, Stephen (September 16, 2024). "Bodycam video shows arrest of suspect in apparent Trump attempted assassination". CBS News. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  23. ^ "Suspect in Donald Trump assassination attempt may have been 'politically motivated' ADL says". The Jerusalem Post. September 16, 2024. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  24. ^ "Officials: Suspect in assassination attempt on Trump isn't Republican Fact check". USA Today. September 17, 2024.
  25. ^ "Contrary To Online Claims, Trump Suspect Is Registered Independent Voters". Barron's. AFP. September 16, 2024.
  26. ^ a b Guzman, Chad de (September 16, 2024). "What We Know—and Don't Know—So Far About the Trump Golf Course Shooter". TIME. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  27. ^ Gerstein, Josh (September 16, 2024). "North Carolina man charged in Trump incident may have waited near his golf course for nearly 12 hours". Politico. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  28. ^ Brooks, Brad (September 16, 2024). "Ryan Routh: What we know about suspect in Trump assassination attempt". Reuters. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  29. ^ "Ryan Wesley Routh: What we know about suspect in Trump assassination attempt in Palm Beach County". WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm. September 16, 2024. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  30. ^ "Man in custody after Trump golf club incident was once convicted of possessing a machine gun". NBC News. September 16, 2024. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  31. ^ Guzman, Chad de (September 16, 2024). "What We Know—and Don't Know—So Far About the Trump Golf Course Shooter". TIME. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  32. ^ Licon, Adriana (September 15, 2024). "5 things to know about the apparent assassination attempt on Trump at one of his golf courses". Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  33. ^ "EXCLUSIV Recrutor pentru Legiunea Internațională: Vă încurajez să veniți și să luptați în Ucraina | Newsweek Romania". newsweek.ro. June 14, 2022. Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  34. ^ Leber, Sebastian (September 16, 2024). ""Ich drücke den Abzug gern": Tagesspiegel-Reporter traf den Mann, der Trump erschießen wollte" ["I would love to pull the trigger" - Tagesspiegel reporter met the man who wanted to shoot Trump]. Der Tagesspiegel (in German). Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  35. ^ Henderson, Barney; Lewis, Kaitlin (September 15, 2024). "Ryan Wesley Routh, would-be Trump assassin, fought in Ukraine, supports war". Newsweek. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  36. ^ Gibbons-Neff, Thomas (September 15, 2024). "New York Times Reporter Revisits Earlier Interview With Suspect at Trump Golf Course". New York times. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  37. ^ Pinho, Faith E.; Nelson, Laura J.; Winton, Richard (September 16, 2024). "Trump assassination attempt suspect said he had hoped to fight in Ukraine". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  38. ^ "Man in custody after Trump golf club incident was once convicted of possessing a machine gun". NBC News. September 16, 2024. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  39. ^ Norton, Tom (September 16, 2024). "Fact Check: Was Trump assassination suspect Ryan Routh in BlackRock ad?". Newsweek.
  40. ^ van Brugen, Isabel (September 16, 2024). "Exclusive: Ryan Wesley Routh "delusional and a liar'—Ukraine volunteer". Newsweek. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  41. ^ "Ryan Routh: What we know about Trump assassination attempt suspect". www.bbc.com. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  42. ^ Hjelmgaard, Dan Morrison, Rick Jervis and Kim. "Alleged Trump gunman had 'delusions of grandeur' in Ukraine, former recruiter says". USA TODAY. Retrieved September 17, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  43. ^ a b Vargas, Ramon Antonio (September 16, 2024). "Son of suspect speaks after apparent Trump assassination attempt in Florida". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  44. ^ a b "Ryan Wesley Routh: The assassination suspect who flew to Ukraine and urged Americans to join him". The Telegraph. September 16, 2024. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  45. ^ Brennan, David; Looft, Chris. "Ryan Wesley Routh: What we know about suspect in Trump 'attempted assassination'". ABC News. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
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