Ryan Routh, suspect in Trump assassination attempt, due in court
( NewsNation ) — Prosecutors on Monday will argue to keep the man charged in an apparent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump behind bars while he awaits trial.
Ryan Routh, 58, will appear in federal court on a pair of gun charges. Investigators say he pointed a rifle through a tree line Sept. 15 at Trump's West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course while the former president and GOP presidential nominee was playing.
It's the second apparent assassination attempt against Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign season.
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What is Ryan Routh charged with?
Routh is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
A conviction of each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
He has not yet entered a plea.
U.S. prosecutors may reveal new details about the investigation at Monday's hearing, where they're expected to argue that Routh poses a danger to public safety and must remain in jail.
What is Ryan Routh accused of?
Unlike the gunman behind the July 13 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, Routh isn't accused of firing a weapon.
He was about 400-500 yards away from the former president, crouched in bushes near the golf club perimeter and armed with a weapon that had a scope, according to investigators. Trump was not within his line of sight.
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The situation began about 1:30 p.m. local time when authorities received a call reporting shots fired at the golf course where Trump was playing. Those shots came from a U.S. Secret Service agent who spotted a rifle sticking through the fence.
A witness told police the suspect fled the scene in a black Nissan, which police located and stopped about 45 miles north of the golf course.
Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder told WPTV the man "was not armed when we took him out of the car."
Reuters contributed to this report.
