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Former US President Donald Trump nearly avoided an attempted assassination attempt in Florida on Sunday, according to the FBI. Secret Service agents opened fire along the perimeter of Trump’s golf property, apprehending Ryan Wesley Routh, 58. The scene revealed a high-powered AK-47-style rifle with a scope and a GoPro camera.
When Secret Service agents opened fire, Routh reportedly jumped from the foliage he was hiding in and fled in a black sedan. Witnesses assisted police in identifying the automobile, which allowed authorities to track it down.
“We have somebody in custody right now that is a potential suspect,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told a press conference, as quoted by news agency AFP.
Who Is Ryan Wesley Routh?
The New York Times reports that Routh is a former construction worker from Greensboro, North Carolina. Routh had no official military history but had previously indicated a great desire to participate in violent action, notably in Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion. In one post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Routh announced his ready to “fight and die” in Ukraine. He also pushed for civilians to influence the outcome of global conflicts.
“I AM WILLING TO FLY TO KRAKOW AND GO TO THE BORDER OF UKRAINE TO VOLUNTEER AND FIGHT AND DIE,” he wrote.
According to the New York Times, Routh included the phrase “Civilians must change this war and prevent future wars” in his Signal profile blurb.
“Each one of us must do our part daily in the smallest steps help support human rights, freedom and democracy; we each must help the Chinese,” his bio on WhatsApp reads.
Routh’s activity did not stop with online declarations. In a 2023 interview with The New York Times, he claimed to have gone to Ukraine to help the war effort and recruit Afghan fighters.
This was hardly Routh’s first encounter with violence. In 2002, Routh barricaded himself inside a Greensboro building with a fully automatic firearm, leading to his arrest. The charges were significant, but the fate of the case is unclear.
Donald Trump “Safe”
“President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity,” his campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement.
“Fear not! I am safe and well, and no one was hurt. Thank God!” Trump himself said in a website fundraising message, as quoted by news agency AFP
The latest gunshot occurred weeks after Trump was the target of another assassination attempt while speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania. The would-be assassin fired a sniper bullet from a distance, grazing the former US President’s ear. Authorities shot and killed the suspect.
