Who is Ryan Wesley Routh, arrested for assassination bid at Donald Trump?

The US Secret Service has arrested a 58-year-old man for firing shots at a golf course in Florida where US Presidential candidate Donald was playing in what is being called a second assassination attempt at the former US President.

The assailant has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh. According to reports, after firing shots near the golf course, he had tried to escape from his hideout in a black car.

AK-47-style rifle recovered

A high-powered AK-47-style rifle with a scope and a GoPro camera, suspected to be used by the accused, was recovered from the shrubbery where he was hiding.

Authorities tracked down the car with the help of witnesses.

“We have somebody in custody right now that is a potential suspect,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters at a presser.

Officials said the gunman was around 275 to 450 metres away from Trump during the time of firing.

Who is Ryan Wesley Routh?

Reports said Routh, a resident of North Carolina’s Greensboro, is a construction worker and a supporter of the Democratic Party.

Despite not having any military experience, he in the past has expressed interest in participating in armed conflicts, especially in the war in Ukraine.

In a past post on X, Routh said that he was willing to “fight and die” in Ukraine. He had also urged civilians to work towards preventing future wars.

Interest to fight in Ukraine

“I am willing to fly to Krakow and go to the border of Ukraine to volunteer and fight and die,” he had said.

“Each of us must do our part daily in the smallest steps help support human rights, freedom and democracy; we each must help the Chinese,” he says in his bio of WhatsApp reads.

In another interview with The New York Times, Routh had said that he had travelled to Ukraine to support it in its war with Russia and recruit Afghan soldiers.

"We need everyone here fighting... that's why I'm in Kyiv, so every project that I promote is about getting people here to support the Ukrainians," he had said.

Devout Democrat

Routh, a devout Democrat, has also been vocal about his support for party candidates since 2019.

He is said to have been a supporter of Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley in the US Presidential polls before they dropped out.

In one of his posts, he had urged them not to quit the race.

"You cannot quit. Why? You must stay on the ballot until the end. You must fight. Keep giving speeches and push all the way to Election Day, no matter the outcome. Do not give in. Join Nikki and keep working. Never give up," his post read.

Trump critic

Routh, on the other hand, had been critical of Trump and accused him of trying to “enslave Americans under a master” in a post on April 22.

“Democracy is on the ballot, and we cannot afford to lose,” he had said in his post that was meant for President Joe Biden, who then was in the race for the Presidential polls.

He had urged Biden to focus on the preservation of “America’s democracy and freedom” in his poll campaign.

“We cannot afford to fail,” he said in the post adding, “The world is counting on us to show the way.”

In 2002, Routh was arrested after he confined himself in a building Greensboro with a fully automated weapon.

‘Doesn’t sound like the man I know,’ says Routh’s son

Routh’s son Oran Routh, however, has described his father as a “loving, caring and hardworking” man while hoping that the entire incident has been “blown out of proportion.”

“Ryan is my father, and I don’t have any comment beyond a character profile of him as a loving and caring father and an honest, hardworking man. I don’t know what’s happened in Florida, and I hope things have just been blown out of proportion, because from the little I’ve heard, it doesn’t sound like the man I know to do anything crazy, much less violent. He’s a good father and a great man, and I hope you can portray him in an honest light,” CNN quoted Oran as saying.

Trump safe

"President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity. No further details at this time," Steven Cheung, Trump Campaign Communications director has said in a statement following the firing

In a message to his supporters, Trump said he is safe. “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL! Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!” he said.

The firing came two months after Trump escaped an assassination bid as the bullet grazed his ear during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.