Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, allegedly set up a sniper’s nest near Trump’s golf course and hid there for nearly 12 hours before being detected, federal prosecutors revealed on Monday, September 16.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Routh’s cell phone placed him near Trump International West Palm Beach from 1:59 a.m. on Sunday.
His plan was disrupted around 1:30 p.m. when a Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of his gun while Trump was golfing approximately 300-500 yards away.
At the site, agents discovered a digital camera, two bags, and a loaded SKS-style rifle with an unreadable, scratched-off serial number.
The FBI noted that the weapon was not manufactured in Florida, suggesting it came from out of state or abroad.
After the Secret Service agent fired at Routh, a witness reported seeing the suspect flee the scene in a Nissan sports car with stolen license plates.
Routh has a criminal record, including a 2002 conviction for possessing a weapon of mass destruction in Greensboro, North Carolina, and a 2010 conviction for multiple counts of possession of stolen goods, according to the complaint.
