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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced on Sunday that state law enforcement agencies will investigate the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life, which occurred at his golf course near Mar-a-Lago.
Governor Ron DeSantis said that Florida will take every measure to investigate the attempted assassination at the International Golf Club. He stressed that the public should be made aware of all the information on the attempted assassin and how he came to be 500 yards away from the Republican nominee and former president.
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Reports stated that the FBI is already investigating the incident as an attempted assassination, and this is the second such occurrence since July 13, when a similar event took place during a rally in Butler, Pa. In a Sunday briefing, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw reported that the suspect, who was later taken into custody, was 300–500 yards away from the former president when a Secret Service agent intervened. At a press conference, he stated that the Secret Service responded appropriately and praised the agent’s actions.
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Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, has been identified as the suspect; records indicate that he resides in Hawaii. When he was taken into custody, authorities discovered a backpack, a GoPro camera, and an AK-47-style weapon with a scope. Routh was born and raised in North Carolina, with a criminal record that includes simple narcotics possession, driving without a license, driving with an expired inspection, and using a car without insurance.
In 2002, the Greensboro News & Record reported that Routh was arrested after a three-hour standoff during which he barricaded himself in the office of his roofing firm. Fox News reported that this incident occurred during a traffic stop, where Routh placed his hand on a gun before fleeing.
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Records show that Routh moved to Hawaii in 2017 and founded a construction company that built basic housing for the homeless, according to his LinkedIn profile. An official stated after the incident on Sunday that Routh did not appear to be a random individual with an AK-47 outside Trump’s club.
While Trump was on the fifth hole of the golf course, a Secret Service agent observed the suspect. Authorities reported that the suspect abandoned two backpacks, a GoPro camera, and an AK-47 next to a chain-link fence surrounding the sixth hole. Fox reported that Routh fled in an SUV after a Secret Service agent fired at him but was quickly apprehended by authorities.
In a message shared on social media, Trump reported hearing gunshots in his vicinity. He reassured everyone that he was safe and well before rumors could escalate. He also stated that nothing would slow him down, that he would never surrender, and that he would always appreciate Americans for their support.
Dan Bongino, a radio talk show presenter and former Secret Service agent, made a daring forecast earlier this month regarding a prospective incident involving Trump, implying that things are worse now than they were before the initial attempt on his life.
Ronald L. Rowe Jr. was appointed interim director of the Secret Service when then-director Kimberly Cheatle resigned due to congressional investigations into the attempted assassination. Rowe and the agency’s leadership have come under fire from Bongino on several occasions, who says they are either dishonest or inept.
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