Records show that while living in North Carolina, suspected shooter Ryan Wesley Routh had multiple run-ins with law enforcement and was convicted in 2002 of possessing a weapon of mass destruction.
ADVERTISEMENTFormer US President Donald Trump is "safe and well" after having faced another apparent assassination attempt on Sunday at Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach, according to the FBI.
This incident happened nearly two months after a shooting at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which left Trump wounded in the ear and one supporter dead.
His campaign team confirmed the attempt shortly after in a statement to his fundraising list: "There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumours start spiralling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL".
How did agents foil the attack?
The gunman was first seen by Secret Service agents while performing security checks ahead of the former president as he played.
The muzzle of a rifle was spotted sticking through the shrubbery that lines the course by Secret Service agents.
At the time Trump was about 272-557m away from the gunman, he said.
An agent “immediately engaged” with the person holding the rifle, who fled the scene, dropping his weapon and fleeing in an SUV, Sheriff Bradshaw said.
A witness, who saw the man fleeing to a black Nissan SUV, took a picture of the car and later provided it to law enforcement.
The suspect was arrested by police after crossing into Martin County, roughly 61km from Trump's golf course.
The suspect has since been named as Ryan Wesley Routh across multiple reports.
Who is the suspected man?
Law enforcement officials say the man suspected of shooting at Donald Trump and who was arrested in Martin County is Ryan Wesley Routh.
Records show that Routh, 58, lived in North Carolina for most of his life before moving in 2018 to Kaaawa, Hawaii, where he and his son operated a company building sheds, according to an archived version of the webpage for the business.
Routh frequently posted on social media about the war in Ukraine and had a website where he sought to raise money and recruit volunteers to go to Kyiv to join the fight against the Russian invasion.
In June 2020, he made a post on X directed at then-President Trump to say he would win re-election if he issued an executive order for the Justice Department to prosecute police misconduct.
That year, he also posted in support of the Democratic presidential campaign of then-US Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who has since left the party and endorsed Trump.
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However, in recent years, his posts suggest he soured on Trump, and expressed support for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
In July, following the assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania, Routh urged Biden and Harris to visit those wounded in the shooting at the hospital and to attend the funeral of a former fire chief killed at the rally.
Voter records show he registered as an unaffiliated voter in North Carolina in 2012, most recently voting in person during the state’s Democratic Party primary in March 2024.
Federal campaign finance records show Routh made 19 small political donations totalling $140 (€126) since 2019 using his Hawaii address to ActBlue, a political action committee that supports Democratic candidates.
ADVERTISEMENTRecords show that while living in Greensboro, North Carolina, Routh had multiple run-ins with law enforcement. He was convicted in 2002 of possessing a weapon of mass destruction, according to online North Carolina Department of Adult Correction records.
Speaking to US media, Routh's son Oran said he was a "loving and caring father".
Support for Ukraine
Reports state that Routh is a firm supporter of Ukraine, having called on foreign fighters to travel to the country to help it face Russia's invasion.
He has no military experience himself but travelled to Ukraine once Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022 to try and recruit Afghan soldiers who had fled the Taliban, according to a New York Times article from 2023.
ADVERTISEMENTHe reportedly told the paper that many had expressed interest and that he would help them move from Pakistan and Iran to Ukraine.
Routh also said that he'd met with the US Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe to help push for more support for Ukraine.
The International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine, the volunteer unit of the Ukrainian army made up of foreign soldiers, has since denied reports that Routh was one of its members.