According to the New York Times, Routh is a former construction worker.

New Delhi:

Former US President Donald Trump narrowly escaped an alleged assassination attempt in Florida on Sunday, according to the FBI. A 58-year-old suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, was arrested after Secret Service agents opened fire near the boundary of Trump’s golf course. A high-powered AK-47-style rifle with a scope and a GoPro camera were found at the scene.

When Secret Service agents opened fire, Routh allegedly jumped out of the brush he was hiding in and fled in a black car. Authorities were able to track down the car after witnesses helped police identify it.

“There is someone in custody at this time who is a potential suspect,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told a news conference, quoted by AFP.

Who is Ryan Wesley Routh?

According to the New York Times, Routh is a former construction worker from Greensboro, North Carolina. Routh has no formal military background but has expressed a strong desire to participate in armed conflict in the past, particularly in Ukraine after Russia’s 2022 invasion. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Routh declared himself willing to “fight and die” in Ukraine. He also advocated for civilians to change the course of global conflicts.

“I AM READY TO FLY TO KRAKOW AND GO TO THE BORDER OF UKRAINE TO DO VOLUNTEER WORK, FIGHT AND DIE,” he wrote.

According to the New York Times, Routh wrote in his profile bio on the messaging app Signal: “Citizens must change this war and prevent future wars.”

“Each of us must do our part every day, no matter how small, by supporting human rights, freedom and democracy. We must all help the Chinese,” his WhatsApp bio reads.

Routh’s activities didn’t stop at online statements. In a 2023 interview with The New York Times, he claimed to have traveled to Ukraine to support the war effort and recruit Afghan soldiers.

This wasn’t Routh’s first brush with violence. In 2002, he was arrested after barricading himself in a building with a fully automatic weapon in Greensboro. The charges were serious, though the outcome of the case remains unclear.

Donald Trump “Safe”

“President Trump is safe following the gunfire in his area,” his campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement.

“Don’t be afraid! I’m safe and sound, and no one was hurt. Thank God!” Trump himself said in a message on his website, quoted by AFP news agency

The latest shooting comes weeks after Trump was targeted in another assassination attempt while speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania. The would-be assassin fired a bullet from a distance from his sniper, which grazed the former US president’s ear. The suspect was then shot dead by authorities.