The man accused of pointing an AK-style rifle through the fence at Trump International Golf Club, where former President Trump was playing, has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, multiple media outlets reported.
Routh is reportedly the individual who was spotted by Secret Service agents with a rifle along the golf perimeter in West Palm Beach, Fla. on Sunday.
He is a white male in his mid-60s, NewsNation reported, citing a law enforcement source. He was convicted in 2002 of possessing a weapon of mass destruction, the outlet added, citing online North Carolina Department of Adult Correction records.
Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg told NewsNation Routh was not previously on law enforcement’s radar.
Secret Service agents were posted a few holes in front of Trump on the course on Sunday afternoon when they noticed a man pushing a rifle’s muzzle through the course perimeter, authorities said during a Sunday press briefing. The rifle was sticking through the bushes, between 300 and 500 yards away, police said.
A Secret Service agent fired at the suspect, who dropped the firearm and fled in a SUV. Authorities eventually tracked down the man traveling from Palm Beach County into Martin County on I-95 after a witness captured a photograph of the individual’s vehicle and he was apprehended at the scene, according to police.
Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder told NewsNation the suspect “was not armed when we took him out of the car,” and said he had a calm, flat demeanor. He did not question why he was being pulled over, Snyder added.
About an hour after Secret Service opened fire at the suspect, the Trump campaign issued a statement that the former president was “safe.”
Authorities have yet to determine a motive for the apparent attempt on Trump’s life.
Routh’s apparent social media suggested he is vocal about the war in Ukraine. And The New York Times said it interviewed him for a feature on pro-Ukrainian foreign fighters last year. The Times said Routh is originally from Greensboro, N.C. and traveled to Ukraine in 2022 to recruit ex-Afghan soldiers who fled the Taliban to fight for the embattled nation.
A law enforcement official told The Times Routh had been living in Hawaii prior to Sunday’s incident.
Aronberg with the state attorney’s office said he expects Routh to face charges related to terrorism and weapons offenses, NewsNation said.
NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.
