Who is Ryan Wesley Routh, the Accused Gunman at the Trump Golf Club
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| Ryan Wesley Routh, a 58-year-old man, is reported to reside in Hawaii. |
The 58-year-old man accused of aiming an AK-47 at former President Donald Trump on Sunday has a long history of arrests spanning several decades.
Ryan Wesley Routh was apprehended shortly after the incident at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Authorities reported that Secret Service agents fired at him when they saw the muzzle of his AK-47 pointed through a chain-link fence, just one hole away from where Trump was golfing. The situation is being investigated as a possible assassination attempt on the former president.
Routh, who currently lives in Hawaii, has a lengthy arrest record dating back to at least the 1990s. Originally from North Carolina, his offenses include drug possession, driving without a license, expired vehicle inspection, and operating a car without insurance. Notably, the Greensboro News & Record reported in 2002 that Routh was arrested after a standoff in his roofing company's office, which followed a traffic stop where he brandished a gun before fleeing.
According to records, Routh relocated to Hawaii in 2017 and subsequently started a construction company there, focusing on building simple housing for the homeless.
Authorities have indicated that the incident did not seem to involve a random individual but rather a deliberate act targeting Trump. Following the event, Trump’s campaign confirmed that he was safe, with Trump himself reassuring supporters in a social media message that he would "never surrender" and thanking them for their support.
Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson reported that the Secret Service intervened after spotting Routh with the AK-47. Despite fleeing in an SUV, Routh was quickly captured by authorities.