Sunday, September 15, U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump was swiftly escorted to safety after what the FBI has called an “attempted assassination.” The incident took place at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump was spending his day off the campaign trail.
A heavy police presence was visible around the area shortly after the incident. Secret Service agents acted quickly when they spotted a gunman aiming a rifle at Trump from approximately 360 meters away. The suspect fled the scene but left behind crucial evidence, including an AK-47 rifle, two backpacks, a scope, and a camera. This equipment was found near the spot where the gunman had positioned himself.
Local law enforcement officials, including the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, were quick to respond. Sheriff Ric Bradshaw recounted how a witness provided a significant lead that led to the gunman’s capture.
“Fortunately, we were able to locate a witness who came to us that said, ‘Hey, I saw the guy running out of the bushes,’” Bradshaw said. “He jumped into a black Nissan, and I took a picture of the vehicle and the tag. We got a hold of Martin County Sheriff’s Office, alerted them, and they spotted the vehicle and pulled it over and detained the guy.”
At a press conference, Sheriff Bradshaw revealed that the suspect was apprehended soon after the authorities were alerted. Although the individual had managed to flee initially, swift action by local and federal law enforcement brought the situation under control. The FBI is now leading the investigation to uncover the motive behind the attack.
🚨🇺🇸 BREAKING: PHOTO OF SUSPECT IN TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT RELEASED
Fox has obtained a photo of Ryan Wesley Routh, the alleged gunman in Sunday’s attempted assassination of Trump.
Martin County Sheriff William Snyder confirmed the authenticity of the image, taken during… https://t.co/vlTNrl9iGk pic.twitter.com/FFdvgkdiDz
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 16, 2024
While law enforcement has not yet officially confirmed the suspect’s identity, media reports suggest that the gunman is 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh. Several sources, including the Associated Press, CNN, and Fox News, have named Routh as the individual detained in connection with the incident. Authorities have been cautious in providing details, indicating that there is still “more work to do” before formal charges are filed.
“We have somebody in custody right now that is a potential suspect. We’ve got a little bit more work to do on it. But as we usually do, as soon as we decide that we’re going to book them into the county jail and the charges that he’s going to be booked into, we’ll get those to you, and we’ll get a picture of him, and we’ll get you his background,” Sheriff Bradshaw explained.
Ryan Wesley Routh’s social media history has provided some insight into his possible motivations. In 2020, he publicly supported Donald Trump’s reelection bid. However, more recent posts on his accounts have shown a shift, with Routh expressing support for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Additionally, Routh has been active in pro-Ukraine circles, frequently posting messages in support of Ukraine’s war efforts against Russia. According to a report by The New York Times, Routh even spent several months in Ukraine, where he reportedly sought to recruit foreigners to fight alongside Ukrainian forces.
In one of his social media posts, Routh voiced extreme anti-Russian sentiments, declaring his willingness to “burn the Kremlin to the ground.” He also posted a message directed at tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, asking to purchase a rocket to target Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence.
“I would like to buy a rocket from you,” Routh wrote to Musk, according to the *New York Post*. “I wish to load it with a warhead for Putin’s Black Sea mansion bunker to end him.”
Trump’s campaign has remained relatively quiet about the incident. However, Ohio Senator JD Vance, Trump’s running mate in the upcoming presidential race, took to social media to assure the public that Trump was unharmed and in good spirits following the attempted attack. Vance spoke to the former president shortly before the news broke.
“He was, amazingly, in good spirits,” Vance said. He also acknowledged that much about the incident was still unclear, adding that there was “a lot we don’t know” about what transpired.
The investigation, now spearheaded by the FBI, is looking into Routh’s background to determine if there was a specific motive behind the attack. Routh’s recent social media activities, including his time in Ukraine and his changing political views, have raised questions about whether this was a politically motivated act, or if there were other personal factors at play.
According to reports, when Routh was arrested, he displayed little emotion. Martin County Sheriff William Snyder described the suspect as “relatively calm,” which has added to the sense of mystery surrounding his actions.
“He was not displaying a lot of emotions. He never asked, ‘What is this about?’” Sheriff Snyder told reporters at a press conference.
The suspect was arrested without significant resistance, and photographs of Routh being taken into custody have surfaced in the media. Fox News obtained an image of the suspect shortly after his arrest, and other outlets have shared additional visuals from the scene. As law enforcement continues to probe Routh’s motives, investigators are looking at both his online footprint and his real-world connections, trying to piece together what led him to take such drastic action.
This is not the first time Donald Trump has been the target of an assassination attempt. Just last month, Trump survived another incident while on the campaign trail. The recurrence of such threats has raised fresh concerns over the safety of political figures, particularly during a time of heightened political tension in the United States.
While Trump has faced numerous controversies and challenges, including legal battles and investigations, this latest incident highlights the dangerous climate in which current and former political figures now operate. The Secret Service, tasked with protecting high-profile individuals like Trump, remains on high alert, especially with the 2024 U.S. Presidential election looming.
As the investigation into this latest assassination attempt continues, authorities are urging caution and vigilance, noting that political figures across the spectrum could be at risk. The FBI’s findings will likely shed more light on the factors that motivated Routh’s actions, but for now, the former president remains unharmed and determined to continue his campaign for the presidency.
