The man suspected in an apparent assassination attempt of Donald Trump camped outside a golf course with food and a rifle for nearly 12 hours before a Secret Service agent confronted him and opened fire, according to court documents filed Monday. Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, faces charges of possessing a firearm despite a prior felony conviction and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number, per the AP. Additional and more serious charges are possible as the investigation continues and Justice Department prosecutors seek an indictment from a grand jury.
- Court appearance: Routh appeared briefly in federal court in West Palm Beach, where he answered perfunctory questions about his work status and income. Shackled and wearing a blue jumpsuit, he smiled as he spoke with a public defender and reviewed documents ahead of the initial appearance. The lawyer declined to comment after the hearing ended.
- Time frame: An FBI affidavit accompanying a criminal complaint says law enforcement officials used Routh's cellphone information to place him at the golf course from 1:59am Sunday until about 1:31pm. A digital camera, a loaded rifle with scope, and a plastic bag containing food was recovered from the area where Routh had positioned himself, according to the affidavit.
- No shots: The suspect did not fire any shots before being discovered by a Secret Service agent, reports USA Today. No shell casings were found at his hiding spot. Agents fired at the suspect, who fled the scene before being apprehended on I-75.
- Volatile book: Authorities did not immediately reveal any new details about Routh or allege a particular motive. But he left an online footprint that reveals shifting political views and intense outrage about world events. "You are free to assassinate Trump," Routh wrote of Iran in an apparently self-published 2023 book titled Ukraine's Unwinnable War, which described the former president as a "fool" and "buffoon" for both the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots and the "tremendous blunder" of leaving the Iran nuclear deal.
- More on his history: Read more about Routh here, including his efforts to recruit soldiers to fight against Russia in the Ukraine war.
This story was updated with new details throughout.
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