Ryan Wesley Routh has reportedly been identified as a suspect following a second apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump. NBC News reports that shots were fired while Trump was at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday (September 15).
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Details on the second apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump
According to the BBC, a Secret Service agent spotted a rifle barrel a short distance from where the former president was playing golf.
According to NBC News, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters that the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office received a call about gunshots near Trump’s golf course around 1:30 p.m.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that US Secret Service agents fired their weapons after a member of Trump’s Secret Service detail spotted the armed suspect.
An eyewitness saw the suspect fleeing the scene in a black Nissan. Authorities found an AR-style rifle with a scope and a GoPro camera in the bushes.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office Highway Enforcement Unit later identified and matched the individual’s vehicle and license plates.
“I would describe the suspect’s demeanor as relatively calm and expressionless; he didn’t show a lot of emotion and he never asked, ‘What is this about?’” Snyder said.
Donald Trump’s Current Security Status and More on Ryan Wesley Routh
Shortly after the incident, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung confirmed that he was “safe and unharmed.”
“President Trump is safe following gunfire in his neighborhood,” Steven Cheung said in a brief opening statement.
Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance also addressed the situation on X (formerly Twitter), saying he spoke to the former president before the news became public.
I’m glad President Trump is safe. I spoke to him before the news went public and he was, surprisingly, in good spirits.
There’s a lot we don’t know yet, but I’m going to hug my kids tight tonight and say a prayer of gratitude.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) September 15, 2024
Then, on the evening of September 15, Trump released his own statement about the incident.
Later that night, authorities officially identified Routh as the suspected shooter, NBC News. The outlet reports that Routh is 58 years old and lives in Hawaii. However, he previously resided in North Carolina.
Since the incident, authorities have reportedly images released of the AR-style gun and GoPro camera that Routh allegedly had with him while he was “stalking” Trump. Additionally, authorities believe that Routh was previously “convicted of possession of a weapon of mass destruction.”
Here’s What Happened During the First Assassination Attempt on Donald Trump
Trump’s second assassination attempt came nearly two months after the first. On July 13, authorities identified a suspect who attempted to take Trump’s life at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
As The Shade Room previously reported, Thomas Matthew Crooks attacked Trump and was identified as the culprit. NBC News confirmed that Crooks was a registered Republican in Pennsylvania. The Secret Service later confirmed that Thomas Crooks was also killed.
During Trump’s rally, gunshots rang out. A video obtained by TSR shows Trump putting his hand to his ear and ducking behind a podium as blood appeared from his ear. ABC17News later reported that a bullet pierced the upper part of his right ear.
Although Trump survived without serious injuries, one rally attendee, firefighter Corey Comperatore, lost his life.
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