According to the New York Times, Routh is a former construction worker.
New Delhi:
Former US President Donald Trump narrowly escaped a suspected assassination attempt in Florida on Sunday, according to the FBI. A 58-year-old suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, was arrested after Secret Service agents opened fire near Trump’s golf course. A high-powered AK-47 rifle with a telescopic sight and a GoPro camera were seized at the scene.
When Secret Service agents opened fire, Routh allegedly ran from the bushes where he was hiding and fled in a black car. Authorities were able to locate the car after witnesses helped police identify it.
“We currently have a potential suspect in custody,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a press conference, as quoted by AFP news agency.
Who is Ryan Wesley Routh?
According to the New York Times, Routh is a former construction worker from Greensboro, North Carolina. Routh had no formal military background, but in the past expressed a strong desire to participate in armed conflict, particularly in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in 2022. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Routh declared his willingness to “fight and die” in Ukraine. He also advocated for civilians to change the course of global conflicts.
“I AM READY TO FLY TO KRAKOW AND GO TO THE BORDER OF UKRAINE TO VOLUNTEER, FIGHT AND DIE,” he wrote.
According to the New York Times, Routh wrote in his profile biography on the messaging app Signal: “Civilians must change this war and prevent future wars.”
“Every day, each of us must do our part, even the smallest of steps, to support human rights, freedom and democracy; each of us must help the Chinese people,” his WhatsApp biography says.
Routh’s activities were not limited to online statements. In a 2023 interview with the New York Times, he claimed to have traveled to Ukraine to support the war effort and recruit Afghan soldiers.
This was not Routh’s first brush with violence. In 2002, he was arrested after barricading himself in a Greensboro building with a fully automatic weapon. The charges were serious, but the outcome of the case is still unclear.
Donald Trump “sure”
“President Trump is safe following the shooting near him,” his campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement.
“Don’t worry! I’m fine and safe and no one was hurt. Thank God!” Trump himself said in a donation message on a website, as quoted by the AFP news agency.
The latest shooting incident came weeks after Trump was the target of another assassination attempt while speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania. The assassin fired a bullet from his sniper rifle from a distance, grazing the former US president’s ear. The suspect was then shot dead by authorities.
