Trump Shooting Suspect Ryan Routh Charged With Federal Gun Crimes

Ryan Grenoble
·2 min read

Ryan Routh, the 58-year-old man accused of trying to assassinate former President Donald Trump this weekend, appeared in court Monday where he faces two gun-related charges.

Routh was charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

The Associated Press reports Routh, who’s being represented by a public defender, faces up to 15 years in prison on the first charge, and five on the second. Prosecutors may push for additional charges as the investigation continues.

U.S. Secret Service agents fired at Routh on Sunday after they encountered him with an AK-style assault rifle in the bushes at Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

This screengrab taken from AFPTV on Sept. 16 shows Ryan Wesley Routh speaking during an interview on April 27, 2022.
This screengrab taken from AFPTV on Sept. 16 shows Ryan Wesley Routh speaking during an interview on April 27, 2022. AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images

Authorities said Routh fled in an SUV but was stopped and arrested later that day. Martin County Sheriff William Snyder told reporters he showed little emotion when officers pulled him over.

“He never asked, ‘What is this about?’” said Snyder. “Obviously, law enforcement with long rifles, blue lights, a lot going on. He never questioned it.”

Social media accounts that appear to belong to Routh suggest he’s had shifting political allegiances, having voted for Trump in 2016 and supported former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s bid for president in 2020.

A former neighbor of Routh’s in Greensboro, North Carolina, told local Fox affiliate WGHP she found Routh unusual and at times frightening, but never thought he’d rise to the level of would-be assassin.

“Him, I mean, trying to shoot Trump. That’s a lot. I would have never guessed, and I would have swore up and down, no, that’s not him,” said the woman, who spoke to the outlet on condition of anonymity.

She did note, however, that he was long a fan of guns.

“I’ve seen the guns myself and all, and yeah, they had a lot of guns and stuff over there, and, yeah, a lot of people were afraid of him back in the day,” she said.

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