Prosecutors charge man with attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Image: Martin County Sheriff's Office.
The man accused of attempting to assassinate former U.S. president Donald Trump earlier this month was charged by federal authorities on Tuesday. The man, identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, is accused of attempting to assassinate the president on September 15 at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, United States, where Trump had been playing golf. Routh now faces three additional charges: attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate, possessing a firearm to carry out a violent crime, and assaulting a federal officer, in addition to two federal charges of criminal possession of a firearm. If convicted, Routh potentially faces life in prison.
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Image: The White House.
Investigations in the intervening days suggest that Routh proceeded with intent to assassinate the former president. On Monday, prosecutors revealed details of their investigation that indicate "probable cause to support additional charges." Prosecutors also indicated a note Routh had written about his plans to kill Trump will be used as additional evidence. On the day of the attack, Routh is believed to have arrived at the golf course at 1:59 a.m. local time (0559 UTC), then staked out for twelve hours for Trump to appear, according to CNN.
Routh had previously been arrested and convicted in 2002 for possession of a machine gun. According to NBC News, there were no records of him being incarcerated as a result.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said of the act, "[v]iolence targeting public officials endangers everything our country stands for, and the Department of Justice will use every available tool to hold Ryan Routh accountable."
Sources
edit- Michael Kosnar, Daniel Barnes, Dareh Gregorian. "Ryan Routh, arrested near Trump's Florida golf course, is charged with attempted assassination" — NBC News, September 24, 2024
- Alexander Mallin. "Federal prosecutors charge Ryan Routh with attempted assassination of Donald Trump" — ABC News (United States), September 24, 2024
- Jeremy Herb. "Inside the fateful 12 hours of an apparent assassination attempt outside the Trump International Golf Club" — CNN, September 17, 2024
- Dennis Romero, Tom Winter, Chloe Atkins. "Man in custody after Trump golf club incident was once convicted of possessing a machine gun" — NBC News, September 16, 2024
