Ryan Wesley Routh, a 58-year-old man from Hawaii with roots in North Carolina, has been charged on Tuesday for attempting to assassinate former US President Donald Trump earlier this month. Routh was indicted under the new federal charge of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate after he had previously faced weapons charges, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
The latest charge against Routh comes just a day after prosecutors revealed a letter allegedly penned by him, where he confessed his plan to assassinate Trump. The chilling letter read, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you… It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.
Routh appeared in court on Monday where a judge decided to keep him behind bars after he allegedly camped out for 12 hours in a sniper’s nest near Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach on September 15. The Secret Service agents, who were ahead of Trump on the course, noticed the muzzle of a rifle protruding from the bushes and one of the agents fired, prompting Routh to flee the scene.
Routh was quickly captured by authorities after they found him on a nearby highway. He has been charged with possession to further a crime of violence and assaulting a federal officer in addition to his previous weapons charges.
During the court proceedings on Monday, federal prosecutors indicated that they were planning to bring forward an attempted assassination charge against Routh. This incident at Trump’s golf club is the second time someone has tried to assassinate him; Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July, resulting in a Secret Service sniper fatally shooting him.
Routh, with his criminal history, was previously charged for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and having a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He is accused of carrying a SKS semi-automatic rifle with a scope attached and an extended magazine during the incident.
Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that violence targeting public officials endangers the very core of our democracy, and the Department of Justice will use every available tool to hold Ryan Routh accountable for the attempted assassination of former President Trump charged in the indictment. He added, “The Justice Department will not tolerate violence that strikes at the heart of our democracy, and we will find and hold accountable those who perpetrate it. This must stop.
This high-profile case has been assigned to US District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, CNN reported. In July, Judge Cannon dismissed a separate federal criminal case against Trump that was brought by special prosecutor Jack Smith over allegations of the ex-commander in chief illegally keeping classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago mansion.
