Ryan W. Rouse, 58, who is accused of plotting to assassinate Donald Trump, has been indicted in federal court on gun-related charges, a day after he was seen carrying a rifle on the perimeter of the former US president’s golf course in Florida.
According to court documents filed Monday, phone records show the suspect may have been hiding in bushes with an SKS semi-automatic rifle waiting for nearly 12 hours.
Appearing briefly in federal court in West Palm Beach, Rouse said he did not fire the gun and that Trump was not in his sights, the Secret Service said.
“The FBI is investigating this as an assassination attempt on the former president,” Mackenzie LaPointe, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, said at a news conference Monday afternoon.
Rouse was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of fleeing the scene of a crime and is being held on suspicion of illegal possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Secret Service agents stationed at the golf course ahead of President Trump shot a suspect after seeing a rifle muzzle stuck in the fence surrounding the course.
According to police, the gunman fled in an SUV, leaving behind a scoped rifle, two backpacks and a GoPro camera. The man was soon apprehended by armed law enforcement officers on Interstate 95, a busy freeway in a nearby county, and offered no resistance.
According to police, his license plate was reported stolen from another vehicle.
Second assassination attempt in two months
President Trump is expected to unveil a new cryptocurrency venture Monday night at his private club in Florida, Mar-a-Lago, before resuming his campaign in Michigan on Tuesday and New York on Wednesday.
The incident raised new questions about the violent nature of American politics and how an armed suspect was able to get so close to Trump, just two months after another gunman shot him in the ear at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
Trump’s personal schedule is not public, so investigators will try to figure out how the gunman knew about his golf plans. But it’s no secret that the Republican presidential candidate is an avid golfer and enjoys a round whenever he visits his Florida home.
The Secret Service, which protects the U.S. president and presidential candidates, has been under intense scrutiny since the failed assassination attempt on Trump in July.
The service has beefed up its security detail for Trump since the July 13 attack, in which the gunman was killed by responders. Trump was also scheduled to meet with the new head of the Secret Service on Monday after the previous head resigned following the July shooting.
Trump posted on social media on Sunday thanking the Secret Service and law enforcement for keeping him safe, calling them “brave and dedicated patriots” and adding, “This is definitely an interesting day!”
He also blamed President Joe Biden and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris for the assassination attempt. He claimed the suspect was motivated by “very provocative language” from Democrats, but authorities have yet to provide evidence of a motive.
Biden and Harris were briefed on the issue and each issued statements condemning political violence. Harris added that she was “deeply shocked” by the events of the day and that “we all must do our part to make sure this doesn’t lead to more violence.”
Biden said his team had directed the Secret Service to “ensure it has all the resources, capabilities and protective measures necessary to ensure the former president’s continued safety.”
Finding clues
According to court records, Routh has at least two felony convictions, both in North Carolina. He pleaded guilty in 2002 to possession of an unregistered fully automatic gun and was sentenced to probation, according to the county district attorney’s office. He was also convicted of possession of stolen property in 2010.
The FBI is likely closely examining Ruth’s social media posts for clues that could suggest he planned a crime and had a motive to kill the president.
Records show Routh lived in North Carolina for most of his life before moving to Hawaii in 2018. In 2020, he posted social media posts supporting Trump’s reelection bid, but in recent years his posts have expressed support for Biden and Harris.
According to an interview with The New York Times last year, Rouss was an ardent supporter of Ukraine and had traveled there to recruit foreign fighters after Russia launched a full-scale invasion in 2022.
Ukrainian officials distanced themselves from Laus on Monday, saying the International Legion, where many foreign fighters serve in Ukraine, has no ties to Laus.
Profiles on X, Facebook and LinkedIn that included Routh’s name included statements describing Trump as a threat to American democracy, along with messages of support for Ukraine.
