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Ryan Wesley Routh, a 58-year-old suspect alleged to have planned to assassinate Donald Trump, was arrested on Sunday, September 15. According to the FBI, Ryan was reportedly found near the boundary of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, South Florida with a GoPro camera and an AK-47 assault rifle.
A Secret Service sniper reportedly noticed the weapon’s mouth was pushed past the fence at the golf course’s boundary. The agent reportedly fired at the assassin before they could pull the trigger of the rifle. The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, was caught while attempting to flee the scene and get into a nearby car.
As reported by AFP, Palm Beach County Sheriff Rich Bradshaw stated during a press conference:
"We have somebody in custody right now that is a potential suspect."
Trump’s running mate and Ohio Senator JD Vance took to X after the news broke out. He announced the former president was unharmed and in “good spirits”. Vance added he would hug his kids “extra tight tonight” and deliver a prayer to express gratitude.
The former president himself reassured his supporters through a fundraising email on Sunday:
"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!"
Trump added:
"Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!"
Everything that is known about Ryan Wesley Routh — alleged suspect in Trump's attempted assassination
According to a background check on Ryan Wesley Routh, run by Fox News, the man is currently a resident of Hawaii who previously worked at a construction site in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he is originally from.
The 58-year-old reportedly has an expansive criminal record dating back to the 1990s. According to Fox News, Ryan had been arrested in the past for driving without a license and insurance, drug possession, and expired inspection to name a few.
In 2002, Ryan was reportedly apprehended after he locked himself inside his company’s building in Greensboro while possessing a gun. As seen on Ryan Wesley Routh's supposed LinkedIn profile, he moved to Hawaii in 2017 and founded a construction company that serves homeless people.
An X account purportedly belonging to Ryan has multiple posts replete with political resonance. Ryan Wesley Routh allegedly expressed his disappointment with Trump's presidency in an X post from November 6, 2020. He tagged the former president and wrote:
"While you were my choice in 2106 [2016], I and the world hoped that president Trump would be different and better than the candidate, but we all were greatly disappointment [disappointed] and it seems you are getting worse and devolving; you are r*tarded; I will be glad when you [are] gone"
In some of Ryan's recent X posts, he addressed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris urging them to attend the funeral of the person who was shot to death after firing at Trump at a Pennsylvania rally in July 2024.
