The man in custody in connection with what is being described as a second assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump has a long criminal and civil court history, including a conviction for possessing a machine gun. Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was taken into custody after shots were fired at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. In 2002, court records show that he was convicted of possessing a weapon of mass destruction — the machine gun. A person named Ryan Routh resided for decades in North Carolina before most recently living in Hawaii.
After the 2002 arrest, authorities allegedly found the suspect in possession of a fully automatic machine gun, according to reports. The arrest coincides with North Carolina criminal court records that include Routh’s conviction for possession of a weapon of mass destruction. Records also show convictions for carrying a concealed weapon, possession of stolen property, hit-and-run, resisting an officer, and driving on a suspended license. However, there is no record of time spent in state prison related to those cases in the early 2000s.
Court records show that over 100 criminal counts have been filed against Ryan Routh in North Carolina, mostly in Guilford County. The exact outcome of each case was not immediately clear. Additionally, the court records for a person named Ryan Routh also show a 2003 divorce, as well as multiple civil judgments after contractors and individuals sued a roofing company he helped run. Palm Beach County State’s Attorney Dave Aronberg stated that the federal government will be taking over prosecution in the West Palm Beach case, with the U.S. Justice Department expected to file any charges. Aronberg argued that a defendant wouldn’t have to open fire for the case to include a charge of attempted assassination.
Authorities alleged that Routh was “lying in wait” for Trump before U.S. Secret Service agents spotted him. Routh had aimed at the agent who fired at him, according to Aronberg, but the exact chronology of events is still unclear. Photos show a weapon, a backpack, and a GoPro camera on a fence outside Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, taken after the apparent assassination attempt on Sunday. The case is still under investigation, and further details about Routh’s background and motives are likely to emerge as the legal process continues.
