The gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach, Florida golf course has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
After Secret Service agents exchanged fire with the gunman, who was hiding in a patch of shrubbery on the edge of the gold course, an eyewitness spotted the suspect fleeing the scene. The witness was also able to identify the suspect’s vehicle, a black SUV, as he was fleeing the scene.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office soon put out a notice to be on the lookout for the vehicle. He was ultimately apprehended in nearby Martin County just after crossing the county line between Martin and Palm Beach Counties.
“He crossed into the wrong county. My guys were waiting for him. They had the BOLO from PBSO.,” Martin County Sheriff Will Snyder told Bulwark reporter Marc Caputo. “He said he has no other info he can disclose and they’re awaiting FBI & Secret Service to take the suspect into custody & search the vehicle,” the reporter added.
In a statement to CNN, Snyder confirmed that a lone suspect is in custody. “We whisked nobody away. There was a lone driver in the vehicle. That driver is now in custody in the hands of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” the Martin County sheriff said.
When asked about the suspect’s demeanor, Snyder described him as “relatively calm, flat, was not displaying a lot of emotion, never asked, what is this about? Obviously, law enforcement with long rifles, blue lights, a lot going on, never questioned it.”
The suspect was not armed when he was apprehended.
After the suspect was taken into custody, an eyewitness positively identified him as the gunman, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.
Police have released photos of Routh’s vehicle, as well as a blurry image of the suspected gunman during his arrest.
Posts from Routh’s X account indicate that he was a fanatical supporter of the Ukrainian war effort against Russia. In numerous posts, Routh claimed that he was raising money in order to fund mercenaries to fight in the war effort.
Routh also indicated that he had traveled to Ukraine himself in recent years.
In addition, Routh tweeted about a number of foreign conflicts and claimed he was raising money to send fighters and police to Haiti, Taiwan and Afghanistan.
FEC records indicate that Routh has long supported Democrats and has donated to the progressive fundraising arm ActBlue.
He has also made a number of anti-Trump social media posts, the most recent coming after the July 13 attempt on Trump’s life in Pennsylvania. You should visit the victims in the hospital of the trump rally victims and attend the funeral of the fireman that died; Trump certainly never would. SHOW THE WORLD WHAT REAL LEADERS DO,” Routh wrote in a post and tagged President Biden.
