- Routh arrested for attempted Trump assassination
- Mixed ideology: pro-Ukraine, anti-China sentiments
- FBI and Secret Service investigating the incident
US media has identified Ryan Wesley Routh as a suspect in the attempted assassination attempt on US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Florida.
According to property records, Mr Routh, 58, is originally from North Carolina and has spent the majority of his life there, but he most recently lived in Hawaii.
His known activities create a mixed picture of his ideology. He appears to have been passionate about Ukraine’s military effort, and he has also had some legal troubles.
Here are some other facts we know about him.
What did Mr. Routh do?
He is accused of arriving at the Trump International Golf Course in Florida on Sunday armed with an AK-47-style rifle. The FBI found the weapon and scope, two backpacks, and a GoPro camera in the bush where the guy was hiding.
Routh managed to flee in his car, but he appears to have been recognized by a witness who photographed the black Nissan he was driving.
An urgent warning was issued for the automobile. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said two officers stopped Mr Routh’s vehicle 45 minutes after the gun was discovered on the golf course and followed it.
He was ultimately stopped on Interstate 95 and put into custody.
What do Mr Routh’s social media accounts show?
BBC Verify discovered social media profiles using Mr Routh’s name.
They show that he called for foreign warriors to go to Ukraine to combat the Russian military.
I am traveling to Ukraine from Hawaii to fight for your children, families, and democracy. I will come and die for you,” a post on X reads, according to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.
His profile also contains pro-Palestinian, pro-Taiwan, and anti-China sentiments, such as assertions about Chinese “biological warfare” and references to the COVID-19 virus as an “attack.
According to CBS, Mr Routh once supported President Trump, saying in a post on X that the Republican was “my choice in 2016” but that he was “getting worse and devolving” and adding, “I will be glad when you [are] gone.”
Mr Routh has also been spotted online pushing President Joe Biden and Vice-President Harris to meet with victims of a shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, where another attempt on Trump’s life occurred in July.
What is Mr Routh’s link with Ukraine?
In 2023, Mr Routh told the New York Times that he planned to help Ukraine’s military effort by recruiting Afghan soldiers who had escaped the Taliban.
In a phone conversation with the newspaper, he said hundreds of soldiers were interested and that he planned to relocate them from Pakistan and Iran to Ukraine, some illegally.
“We can probably purchase some passports through Pakistan since it’s such a corrupt country,” he told me.
Routh also told the newspaper that he was in Washington to speak with the US Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe to advocate for additional funding for Ukraine.
Routh appears to have been active in recruitment since July.
One Facebook post from July said, “Soldiers, please do not call me. We are continuing to attempt to convince Ukraine to accept Afghan soldiers and anticipate receiving a response in the future months. “Please be patient.
Ukraine’s International Legion of Foreign Volunteers has denied involvement, while other Ukrainian officials have distanced themselves from him. President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned political violence.
“Playing with fire has its consequences,” warned Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov, as quoted by Reuters.
Does Mr. Routh have a criminal record?
According to CBS, Mr Routh’s legal difficulties date back to the 1990s, when he was charged with writing bad checks.
Mr Routh was charged with and convicted of many felony offenses in Guilford County, North Carolina, between 2002 and 2010, according to CBS.
In 2002, he was charged with having a weapon of mass destruction. In another incident, he was charged with misdemeanors such as hit-and-run, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
His claimed offenses include:
- Driving with a revoked license.
- Possessing stolen items.
- Hit-and-run with a motor vehicle.
Former neighbor Kim Mungo, who describes Mr. Routh as a “sweetheart,” said federal authorities invaded Mr. Routh’s residence.
She claimed he used to have “loads of stolen property and stuff” at home. She also claimed to have witnessed Routh and his relatives openly discharging weapons.
What is his political affiliation?
CBS reported. According to the North Carolina Board of Elections, Mr Routh voted Democratic in person during the party’s 2024 primary.
Despite a social media post claiming he supported Trump in 2016, he is apparently registered as an independent voter.
Does Mr. Routh have a family?
Mr. Routh’s son described him as “a loving and caring father, as well as an honest and hardworking man.”
His eldest son, Oran, texted CNN: “I don’t know what happened in Florida, and I hope things have just been blown out of proportion because from what I’ve heard, it doesn’t sound like the man I know to do anything crazy, much less violent.”
What will happen next?
Mr Routh is still in detention, and no official charges have been brought against him. He is scheduled to appear before a judge later on Monday at the Palm Beach County Courthouse in Mar-a-Lago.
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It’s unclear whether he fired his pistol during the event.
“We’re not sure right now if the individual was able to shoot at our agents, but our agents were able to engage with the suspect,” said Rafael Barros of the Secret Service Miami Field Office.
He stated that “the threat level is high” following the recent assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania.
The FBI has announced an investigation and claims it collaborates with local law enforcement.
Secret Service and Homeland Security Agents have also searched Mr. Routh’s old residence in Greensboro, North Carolina.
