Who is Ryan Wesley Routh? Alleged Gunman Involved in Trump Assassination Attempt

Ryan Wesley Routh, the 58-year-old man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club, has a long and troubled history with law enforcement that stretches back several decades. Authorities arrested Routh shortly after the Sunday afternoon incident, during which he allegedly pointed an AK-47 at Trump through a chain-link fence at Trump International Golf Club.

The episode is being treated as an apparent assassination attempt, with Secret Service agents firing at Routh after spotting the muzzle of the rifle aimed at Trump while he played on the course’s fifth hole. Routh fled in an SUV after the Secret Service opened fire, but he was quickly apprehended.

• Routh, a native of North Carolina, has a prolific arrest record dating back to at least the 1990s, with charges ranging from simple drug possession to barricading himself in a roofing office after a traffic stop turned into a three-hour standoff.

• After moving to Hawaii in 2017, Routh launched a construction company focused on building simple housing for the homeless, according to his LinkedIn profile. His more recent activities, however, suggest a descent into more dangerous territory.

“This does not appear to be some random guy with an AK-47 walking outside Trump’s club,” one official said after the incident, hinting at the deliberate nature of the attack.

Timeline of Events:

• The would-be assassin was first spotted by Secret Service personnel as Trump played on the fifth hole. Routh reportedly abandoned an AK-47, a GoPro camera, and two backpacks along the fence bordering the sixth hole before fleeing.

• Secret Service members opened fire on Routh after seeing him aim the weapon, leading to a brief pursuit before he was arrested.

Following the incident, Trump’s campaign issued a statement assuring the public that the former president was safe. Trump later posted a defiant message to his supporters, saying, “Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!” He added, “Unity. Peace. Make America Great Again. May God bless you.”

The incident has raised alarms over the escalating threats against Trump, with this being the second assassination attempt in just eight weeks. Routh’s extensive criminal history and the calculated nature of his actions at the golf course underscore the persistent dangers faced by the former president and his campaign.

As authorities continue their investigation, questions remain about how Routh—a man with a decades-long record of law enforcement run-ins—was able to get so close to Trump with a high-powered rifle.

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