Ryan Wesley Routh, identified as the suspect in an assassination attempt near Donald Trump's Florida golf club, remained calm and expressionless during his arrest on Sunday.
Registered Democrat Routh, 58, is currently in custody. His arrest follows the frightening incident at Trump International Club, which occurred nearly two months after a separate assassination attempt on Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The suspect wasn't armed during his arrest. Notably, the backpack, GoPro camera, and AK-47-style rifle left behind by the gunman during the escape had already been recovered. Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder noted that Routh "was not displaying a lot of emotions" at the time of his arrest.
Details About Trump Golf Course Shooter Revealed
Additionally, Snyder noted that the suspected shooter was "relatively calm" and didn't bother to ask why he was being detained. In 2022, Routh, a registered Democrat, was convicted for possessing a weapon of mass destruction, according to online North Carolina Department of Adult Correction records.
While Snyder couldn't provide more information on the case, a 2002 News & Record story says a man with the same name was arrested following a three-hour standoff with police. According to his frequently updated X feed, Routh initially supported Trump in 2016 and shifted to backing Tulsi Gabbard in 2020. He currently demands Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy form a unity team in 2024.
FEC filings reveal that he has been donating to everyone, including Gabbard, Andrew Yang, Elizabeth Warren, and Tom Steyer, in the 2020 Democratic primary. During the George Floyd protests, Routh allegedly promoted anti-police rhetoric using the BlackLivesMatter and AllLivesMatter hashtags.
Taking to Twitter (now X) back in June 2020, Routh expressed his disappointment with Trump, noting, "While you were my choice in 2106 [sic], I and the world hoped that President Trump would be different and better than the candidate, but we all were greatly disappointment and it seems you are getting worse and devolving; are you retarded; I will be glad when you gone."
According to Wesley's son, Oran Routh, his father isn't a violent person and did not think he owned a gun. Oran told DailyMail.com that his father despises the former US president like "every reasonable person does." Oran added, "I don't like Trump either."
"He's my dad, and all he's had is a couple of traffic tickets, as far as I know," the son said, further stating that he couldn't believe his father would target the president. That's crazy. I know my dad and love my dad, but that's nothing like him."
Trump was reportedly rushed to safety on Sunday after multiple shots were fired in his vicinity while he was playing golf at his club in West Palm Beach.
Suspect's Son Says His Father Isn't A Violent Person
Routh said his father moved to Hawaii a few years back and was living with his longtime girlfriend. He said he didn't know his father was even in Florida.
"He said he was at the beach, but I thought that meant the outer banks in Hawaii,' he said. 'I didn't ask him for more information because we've had a falling out. We've grown apart." While refraining from divulging details about their "falling out," he spoke highly of his father.
"He's not a violent person. He's a hard worker and a great dad. He's a great dude, a nice guy and has worked his whole f**king life," the son added. When asked if his father owned a gun, he replied, "Not that I know of."
"I've never known him to own a gun or known him to do anything bats*** like this," he continued. He said his father, who previously owned a roofing company, currently builds small homes in Hawaii while working as a general contractor.
Routh supported Biden and Harris before Biden withdrew from the race in 2024, stating, "Democracy is on the ballot, and we cannot lose." According to authorities, the car in which Routh was found will be taken into FBI custody for further investigation.
"I have a clear understanding from investigators that we actually do have the suspect that they're looking for in Palm Beach County," Snyder said.
The Secret Service has not yet confirmed whether Routh, described as a lean man with reddish-brown hair who was seen wearing American flag attire in one of his profile pictures, fired any shots before fleeing the scene on Sunday, according to a report by NY Times.
The US Secret Service agents found a rifle barrel protruding from the bushes two holes ahead of Trump's golfing location on Sunday, leaving them no choice but to fire at the suspect. The suspect ran to his vehicle, which was captured by a witness in the form of a photo, which revealed the license plate of the black Nissan.
Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw informed reporters at a press conference several hours after the incident that the witness shared the license plate number and even identified the suspect as the person seen fleeing the scene. According to Bradshaw, the Secret Service didn't have the full ability to protect Trump at the golf course.
"The golf course is surrounded by shrubbery, so when somebody gets into the shrubbery, they're pretty much out of sight, all right, and at this level that he is at right now, he's not the sitting president," Bradshaw said.
