MIAMI (ChatnewsTV) — A federal grand jury in Miami has indicted Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, for attempting to assassinate former President Donald J. Trump at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15.
Routh faces multiple charges, including attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
“Violence targeting public officials endangers everything our country stands for, and the Department of Justice will use every available tool to hold Ryan Routh accountable for the attempted assassination of former President Trump,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This must stop.”
Routh was apprehended by law enforcement after a Secret Service agent, conducting a perimeter check at the golf course, saw a rifle aimed in his direction from the brush near the sixth hole. When the agent fired at the suspect, Routh fled, but was later captured by police after a witness provided key information about his getaway vehicle, a black Nissan Xterra.
Investigators recovered an SKS semiautomatic rifle with an attached scope and obliterated serial number at the scene, along with protective gear and documents detailing Routh’s surveillance of Trump’s movements. According to court filings, Routh had monitored Trump’s locations for weeks leading up to the attempted assassination.
“This alleged assassination attempt was a direct attack on our democracy,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Political violence has no place in this country—not then, not now, not ever.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray echoed those sentiments, vowing to use the full resources of the bureau to ensure those who engage in political violence are held accountable.
Court documents reveal that Routh has a history of felony convictions in North Carolina. He remains in federal custody pending trial, following a detention hearing on September 23.
The FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and other federal agencies are continuing their investigation.
