A 58-year-old man, Ryan Wesley Routh, was arrested on Sunday after allegedly pointing an AK-47 at former President Donald Trump while he was playing golf at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. The Secret Service quickly responded, firing at the suspect after spotting the rifle’s muzzle through a chain-link fence, just one hole ahead of Trump.
Authorities are treating the incident as an apparent assassination attempt. Trump was safely escorted off the golf course, and his campaign later confirmed his safety. Trump reassured supporters, saying, “I will never surrender.”
Suspect’s Criminal History
Ryan Wesley Routh, identified as the suspect, has a lengthy criminal record dating back to the 1990s. Originally from North Carolina, Routh has faced multiple arrests over the years, including charges for drug possession, driving violations, and a standoff with police in 2002. In that incident, Routh barricaded himself inside his office after a traffic stop in which he brandished a firearm.
Routh moved to Hawaii in 2017 and started a construction company building simple housing for homeless individuals, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Details of the Incident
The incident unfolded Sunday afternoon while Trump was playing golf. A Secret Service agent spotted the suspect on the course’s fifth hole and saw him point an AK-47 through a fence near the sixth hole. The suspect also abandoned a GoPro camera and two backpacks along the fence before fleeing in an SUV.
Secret Service agents fired at Routh, but he managed to escape. He was arrested shortly afterward.
Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson confirmed that the Secret Service fired on Routh after seeing him lift the rifle, but no one was injured. Trump later took to social media to reassure the public: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!”
Routh is currently in custody, and authorities continue their investigation into the assassination attempt.