DONALD Trump’s would-be assassin has been slapped with federal gun charges after targeting the former president while he was playing golf.
Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, appeared in court on Monday as it was revealed that the alleged gunman scoped out the golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, for nearly 12 hours before he was caught.
Martin County Sheriff’s OfficeRyan Wesley Routh being escorted by police after his attempted assassination on Donald Trump[/caption]
AFPTrump’s would-be assassin in a picture shared by local cops[/caption]
GettyFormer President Trump, who was golfing during the second assassination bid[/caption]
ReutersA rifle, two backpacks, and a GoPro device were found close to the scene[/caption]
Routh was captured 45 minutes after fleeing the scene on Sunday, where he left a loaded rifle with a scope, a digital camera, and a plastic bag with food, according to an FBI affidavit shared on Monday.
The court document revealed that cell phone records showed Routh was in the area of the tree line outside the golf course for about 12 hours, from around 2 a.m. until 1:31 p.m. on Sunday.
On Monday, he was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
If found guilty, he faces up to 15 years in prison for the first charge and a further five years for the second charge.
Wearing beige prison scrubs and with shackles on his wrists and ankles, Routh was seen laughing and smiling several times with his court-appointed attorney before the hearing.
It comes as…
Donald Trump survived a second assassination attempt while playing golf
The suspected gunman was revealed to be pro-Ukrainian activist Ryan Wesley Routh
Routh was pictured smirking after he was arrested
He faces two charges of federal gun crimes
The 58-year-old’s son revealed that the suspect hated Trump but that the attack was ‘nothing like him’
Routh wrote a bizarre $2 book about the ‘end of humanity’
Secret Service is under fire after the second assassination attempt
President Biden said that the Secret Service ‘needs help’
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the state will conduct an investigation into the attempt
COURT DETAILS
During an eight-minute hearing, Routh spoke only to confirm details about his salary and his work status.
Speaking with a soft voice, he said he was working and made about $3,000 a month, but has zero savings.
He added that he has no real estate or assets, except for two trucks worth about $1,000 at his house in Ka’a’awa, Hawaii.
Routh also said he sometimes supports his 25-year-old son.
A bond hearing has been scheduled for September 23 and a probable cause hearing or arraignment will take place on September 30, depending on whether the government secures an indictment on the charges.
Court documents revealed that Routh spent almost 12 hours near the golf course before he was caught.
Routh was arrested after Secret Service officials spotted the barrel of a rifle sticking out of some bushes on Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course in Florida, where the former president was enjoying a round.
He tried to flee in an SUV but was later detained by cops in a neighboring county.
Speaking to reports, Sheriff Will Snyder from Martin County, Florida described the arrest as “history.”
He said: “We originally picked the vehicle up somewhere around Palm City, it took us about two miles to get all the resources in play, to surround that vehicle.”
Talking about Routh, Snyder added: “He was smart , he was just driving with the forward traffic.”
“I feel like without being hyperbolic this is a touch of history. But the credit goes to those patrol officers who made the stop.”
Former President Trump was rushed to safety by officials and was unharmed.
It came almost exactly two months since a previous attempt on Trump’s life at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
BIDEN SPEAKS
President Biden has responded to news of Routh’s arrest.
Speaking to reporters as he left the White House on Monday, he called on Congress to provide the Secret Service with more resources.
“Thank God the president is OK,” he said, adding: “One thing I want to make clear: the Service needs more help. I think Congress should respond to their needs.”
Pushed on what type of help that might mean, he suggested the Secret Service may need more personnel, saying: “I think they may need – they’re deciding – whether they need more personnel or not.”
FLORIDA INVESTIGATES
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced his state will carry out its own investigation into the attempted assassination.
Telling a press briefing he had not yet spoken to Trump, former Republican candidate DeSantis said: “I understand that the feds are involved but we do believe that there were multiple violations of state law.
“We also believe that there’s a need to make sure that the truth about all this comes out in a way that’s credible.”
He added: “I mean I look at the federal government, with all due respect to them, those same agencies that are prosecuting Trump in that jurisdiction are now going to be investigating this?”
APRouth, a pro-Ukrainian activist, is pictured with a Ukraine flag[/caption]
More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun