SHOOTINGS

Who is Ryan Wesley Routh, the alleged shooter in the incident outside Trump’s golf course?

The FBI says they are investigating the shooting at a golf course as a “possible new assassination attempt” against Trump. The suspect is Ryan Wesley Routh.

Marco BelloREUTERS

The gunman involved in the shooting outside Trump National Golf Club in West Palm Beach in Florida has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh. According to the FBI, they are now investigating “what appears to be an attempted assassination” against former president Donald Trump at the golf club.

The incident occurred shortly before 2 p.m. local time. Trump issued a statement hours later to report that he was safe and to warn his enemies that “nothing” will stop him.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said Secret Service agents spotted Routh bearing a weapon in shrubbery about 400 yards to 500 yards away from Trump, who was playing on the course. Routh was pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope, so the agents fired at him.

After the shots, Routh dropped his weapon and fled in a black Nissan SUV. Authorities acquired the vehicle’s license plate from witnesses and were able to apprehend him in nearby Martin County.

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Who is Ryan Wesley Routh, the alleged shooter in the incident outside Trump’s golf course?

Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder said 58-year-old Routh was “relatively calm” and was “not displaying a lot of emotions” when his department’s deputies arrested him. Snyder said the suspect did not question why he was being pulled over, and was unarmed at the time of his detention. Routh did not release a statement when he was initially taken into custody.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw meanwhile said the gunman was “intent on filming what was going on” because of the way he had positioned the camera on the fence. The sheriff’s office said they found two backpacks with ceramic tiles and a GoPro hanging from a fence near where the suspect was hiding.

Not much information is known about Routh at the moment, and law enforcement officers are still trying to determine the motive of the would-be shooter.

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