Another apparent assassination attempt against Donald Trump was foiled by the Secret Service on Sunday, September 15, while the former president was playing golf in West Palm Beach, Florida, not far from his Mar-a-Lago residence. A member of the former president's security detail, part of the "bubble" formed around him during his travels, was tasked with inspecting the next hole. From there, the agent saw through a gate the barrel of a gun held by a man who was in the bushes. The agent opened fire, causing the suspect to flee.
The police, alerted to gunfire at around 1:30 pm, were quickly assisted by a witness, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw explained at a press conference. Other departments were involved. The witness saw the man emerge from the bushes and get into a black Nissan. The witness photographed the rear of the vehicle, including its license plate, meaning police could quickly intercept the car and arrest the suspect, who offered no resistance. The suspect left an AK-47 assault rifle, a scope, two backpacks and a GoPro camera on the fence around the golf course, with which he "was going to take pictures," according to the sheriff.
"We are not sure right now if the individual was able to take a shot at our agents," said Secret Service representative Rafael Barros. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is in charge of the investigation. Trump was at the previous hole while the incident happened, approximately 300 to 500 yards from the potential shooter, estimated Bradshaw.
President Joe Biden congratulated the law enforcement agencies and said he was "relieved" to learn that his predecessor was unharmed. But there will be no break in the presidential campaign, 50 days before the election in which Trump is running: Florida's Republican governor Ron DeSantis promised that his state would conduct "its own investigation" in a sign of defiance toward the federal authorities.
Citing official sources, the American press quickly identified the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh. The 58-year-old White man from North Carolina is said to live in Hawaii. His criminal record includes eight arrests, most of them for minor offenses.
At the end of 2002, a man bearing his name was arrested and convicted in his hometown of Greensboro, North Carolina, for possession of a "weapon of mass destruction," a term used to describe an automatic rifle. According to local press, he barricaded himself in a store after refusing to comply while driving.
As soon as the suspect's name began to circulate, a hunt for a political motive began to define a motive and draw up a partisan indictment. Thus avoiding the question of his access to a weapon of this category, despite his criminal record. If his writings are anything to go by, Routh seems to have the characteristics of a mythomaniac, a megalomaniac and a wishful thinker.
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