Accused in apparent Trump assassination attempt was near golf course for 12 hours before being caught
Ryan Wesley Routh appeared in Florida court in shackles
The man accused in the apparent assassination attempt targeting former U.S. president Donald Trump on Sunday was near the golf course for 12 hours before he was caught, authorities say.
The cellphone belonging to Ryan W. Routh was "in the vicinity of the area" of the tree line next to the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., as of 1:59 a.m. ET on Sunday, according to a criminal complaint filed in court on Monday.
A Secret Service agent walking the golf course a few holes ahead of Trump at 1:31 p.m. — 12 hours and two minutes later — saw the tip of the rifle poking out of the shrubbery.
The agent fired their weapon and the would-be gunman fled — without firing a shot, according to the FBI — leaving behind a loaded semiautomatic weapon fitted with a scope.
The incident brought the Secret Service under another round of scrutiny just two months after another gunman fired at Trump during rally in Butler, Pa., nicking his ear.
Ronald Rowe, the agency's acting director, said Monday that agents did not sweep the golf course in the hours before Trump teed off because the game was an "off the record" event not listed on his official schedule for the day.
"There was no posting up at the golf course because [Trump] wasn't supposed to have gone there in the first place," said Rowe.
Routh, 58, was arrested about 40 minutes later driving north on Interstate 95. He invoked his right to an attorney when investigators tried to interview him, the FBI said.
During an eight-minute hearing in federal court on Monday, prosecutors levied two charges against him: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Routh, shackled and wearing a blue jumpsuit, smiled as he spoke with his lawyer and reviewed documents ahead of the initial appearance.
Previous felony convictions
The U.S. attorney for Southern District of Florida confirmed Routh has two previous felony convictions in North Carolina.
He pleaded guilty in 2002 to possession of an unregistered fully automatic gun, defined in North Carolina law as a weapon of mass destruction, according to the county district attorney's office, and was sentenced to probation. He was also convicted in 2010 of possessing stolen goods.
During a joint news conference on Monday, the FBI's lead agent in Miami said Routh had also been the subject of a previous investigation in 2019 after someone submitted a tip that he was a felon in possession of a firearm. Jeffrey Veltri, special agent in charge of the FBI's Miami field office, said agents interviewed the tipster and closed the case after they didn't receive any more information.
Officials said Routh could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the first charge related to the apparent attempt on Trump's life, and a possible five-year sentence on the second charge. A bond hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 23, and a probable cause hearing or arraignment has been set for Sept. 30, depending on whether the government secures an indictment on the charges.
Additional and more serious charges are possible as the investigation continues and prosecutors seek an indictment.
"We view this [incident] as extremely serious and are determined to provide answers as to what led up to the events that took place," Veltri said.
Motive unclear
During the hearing, Routh gave routine information to court officials as to his work status and income. Speaking in a soft voice, he said that he was working and making a little more than $4,000 Cdn a month, but has zero savings.
Routh said that he has no real estate or assets, aside from two trucks worth about $1,300, both located in Hawaii. Routh, who in the past had reported ties to North Carolina, also said that he has a 25-year-old son, whom he sometimes supports.
Routh's motives are unclear, as are his travels to the golf club and how he was able to avoid detection.
Evelyn Aschenbrenner, a civilian member of the International Legion of Ukraine, says they first encountered Routh while helping co-ordinate the recruitment of foreign soldiers to help the Ukrainian military after Russia's invasion in 2022. At first, they said the interaction was par for the course — he came across as a man who was eager to contribute to the war effort.
Over the next several encounters, though, Aschenbrenner said, the tone shifted. They said Routh created an unauthorized recruitment website and shared their phone number with potential soldiers around the world, becoming hostile when they explained the limitations on getting personnel into Ukraine.
"It went from, I thought he might be trying to help a little to this very unhinged..." they recalled, trailing off in an interview with CBC News on Monday.
"He wouldn't listen. He would argue. He would insist he was the only one who cared about Ukraine... it was like talking to a wall."
Eventually, Aschenbrenner posted online warnings to other members of the Ukrainian military community cautioning that Routh might be misrepresenting himself as a recruiter.
Aschenbrenner, an American citizen, found out Routh was a suspect in the apparent assassination on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"I was in shock, I was confused, but not completely surprised. Ryan — again, I'm not a psychologist, I'm not going to try and diagnose him — but something has been up with him," they said.
Routh has never served in the Ukrainian army nor collaborated with the military in any capacity, according to Oleksandr Shahuri, a representative officer of the Foreigners Coordination Department of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Command.
Over the past two-and-a-half years, Routh has periodically contacted the international legion with what Shahuri described as "nonsensical ideas."
"His plans and ideas can best be described as delusional."
Shahuri, speaking to The Associated Press, firmly denied any connection to Routh. The legion was created shortly after the outbreak of the war by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It consists of foreign citizens "wishing to join the resistance against the Russian occupants and fight for global security," according to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry.
House demanding more protection for Trump
House Speaker Mike Johnson said the House will be demanding more Secret Service protection for Trump, saying he needs more attention than any other protectee.
In the Senate, Florida Republican Rick Scott said he would propose legislation that would increase security for Trump, and possibly other former presidents.
U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking to reporters on Monday, said he did not yet have a full report of the Sunday incident at Trump's Florida golf course and that he was thankful the former president was OK. But Biden said he believed the Secret Service needs more help.
"In America, we resolve our differences peacefully at the ballot box, not at the end of a gun," the president said.
In a post on X on Sunday, Vice-President Kamala Harris said "violence has no place in America."
Trump was shot at a Pennsylvania rally in July, suffering an ear injury as a firefighter who attended the event was killed by gunfire. The gunman, Thomas Crooks, was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper.
LISTEN | What history teaches about assassination attempts:
Corrections
- An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of Sara Jane Moore.Sep 16, 2024 6:34 PM ET
With files from CBC's Katie Simpson and The Associated Press