Former US President Donald Trump narrowly escaped an alleged assassination attempt on Sunday in Florida. The FBI has identified 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh as the suspect in the incident. Routh was apprehended after Secret Service agents opened fire near Trump’s golf course. Authorities recovered a high-powered AK-47-style rifle with a scope and a GoPro camera at the scene.
When agents engaged, Routh fled from the shrubbery where he was hiding and escaped in a black car. Witnesses helped authorities track down the vehicle, leading to his arrest.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw confirmed, “We have somebody in custody right now that is a potential suspect,” as reported by AFP.
Who Is Ryan Wesley Routh?
According to The New York Times, Routh is a former construction worker from Greensboro, North Carolina. Although he had no formal military training, Routh had previously expressed a strong desire to engage in armed conflict, particularly in Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion. On X (formerly Twitter), he posted his willingness to “fight and die” in Ukraine and advocated for civilian involvement in global conflicts.
Routh’s online presence included a declaration on Signal, where he wrote, “Civilians must change this war and prevent future wars,” and his WhatsApp bio stated, “Each one of us must do our part daily in the smallest steps to help support human rights, freedom, and democracy; we each must help the Chinese.”
In a 2023 interview with The New York Times, Routh claimed he had traveled to Ukraine to support the war effort and recruit Afghan soldiers. His past also includes a 2002 arrest in Greensboro for barricading himself in a building with a fully automatic weapon, though the outcome of that case remains unclear.
Trump Safe and Unharmed
Trump’s campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, reassured the public: “President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity.” Trump himself addressed the incident in a fundraising message, stating, “Fear not! I am safe and well, and no one was hurt. Thank God!”
This shooting incident follows a previous assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, where a would-be assassin fired a bullet that grazed Trump’s ear before being shot dead by authorities.
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