Trump Assassination Attempt: Key Details from NPR

The FBI reported that former President Donald Trump was apparently the target of an attempted assassination on Sunday. A suspect, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, was apprehended after being spotted with a rifle at Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. ET at the Trump International golf course, where the former president was playing. The events concluded miles away on Interstate 95 after Routh’s vehicle was identified. This attempt happened two months after a prior assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Authorities have provided the following information:

The suspect now faces federal gun charges

Routh appeared in a federal courtroom in West Palm Beach on Monday, facing two gun-related charges: possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

Routh informed federal judge Ryon McCabe that he lacked the financial resources for his defense. He was represented by a federal public defender and appeared in a blue prison jumpsuit and shackles. The judge ordered Routh to remain in custody until a formal arraignment on September 30, agreeing with prosecutors’ request.

Routh’s cellphone provider provided data indicating that he had been near the golf course for nearly 12 hours, according to a criminal complaint filed on Monday.

State attorney for Palm Beach County, Dave Aronberg, stated that local prosecutors filed warrants and a pretrial detention motion to ensure Routh remained in custody ahead of likely federal charges.

A Secret Service agent spotted a gun

As Trump moved through the golf course on Sunday, a Secret Service agent ahead of Trump noticed a rifle barrel sticking out of the fence and engaged the individual, causing him to flee. This was confirmed by Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.

The weapon was seen in an area where three holes of the golf course meet near an intersection of two large roads: S. Congress Ave. and Summit Blvd.

From his vantage point, the suspect had a clear view of two holes on the course, Bradshaw added.

Agents fired at the suspect

Secret Service agents fired four to six rounds at a gunman located near the property line, as stated by Rafael Barros, special agent in charge of the Miami field office, during a news conference. It remains unclear if the suspect fired his weapon.

The suspect fled in a car towards Interstate 95 and headed north. Barros confirmed that Trump was “safe and unharmed, following a protective incident.”

Bradshaw commended the Secret Service’s actions and noted that future golf outings for Trump might attract more security.

A rifle was left at the scene

According to Sheriff Bradshaw, an AK-47-style rifle with a scope, two backpacks containing ceramic tile, and a GoPro camera were found at the suspect’s location, suggesting that the suspect intended to record the incident.

The criminal complaint identified the rifle as an SKS-style weapon, which uses the same ammunition as the AK-47. This type of rifle was used historically by Viet Cong snipers during the Vietnam War.

In the past decade, SKS-style guns have been linked to high-profile attacks, including one at a Congressional baseball game practice in 2017 and another at a Planned Parenthood clinic in 2015. The 2017 attack in Alexandria, Virginia, resulted in five people being wounded, including then-House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and two Capitol Police officers.

At the time of the incident, Trump was one or two holes away from the suspect’s location, approximately 300 to 500 yards, Bradshaw noted.

Evidence from the scene indicates an improvised sniper’s nest, with backpacks hung on the fence and ceramic tiles placed for potential defense against gunfire.

A witness took a picture of the suspect’s license plate

Police converged on the golf course after the Secret Service reported shots fired.

Bradshaw said that law enforcement received a significant lead when a witness reported seeing the suspect fleeing in a black Nissan and captured a photo of the vehicle and its license plate.

A license-plate reader system soon reported the vehicle on I-95, driving north towards Martin County. The sheriff’s office there subsequently pulled the vehicle over and arrested Routh after the witness identified him. Routh purportedly acknowledged why he was being stopped and was booked into the county jail.

The Nissan’s license plate belonged to another vehicle, a stolen white Ford pickup, as noted in the criminal complaint.

Routh is a former Trump voter and a supporter of Ukraine

Routh, originally from North Carolina, moved to Hawaii in 2018. He owns a business on Oahu that builds portable storage units and tiny homes. His digital footprint reveals him as a disillusioned former Trump supporter who supports Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

Routh has a lengthy criminal history, including a 2002 felony conviction for possessing a weapon of mass destruction, related to a fully automatic machine gun. Public records link him to multiple court cases involving bad checks and tax delinquencies. Between 2001 and 2010, he faced numerous misdemeanor charges.

North Carolina voting records show Routh voted in a recent Democratic primary election but is unaffiliated with any party. He has publicly expressed regret about his vote for Trump in 2016.

Federal Election Commission records indicate Routh donated to the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue nearly 20 times between September 2019 and March 2020.

NPR deputy national editor Russell Lewis contributed to this report.