US Charges Suspected Trump Gunman with Attempted Assassination, According to Reuters

By Andrew Goudsward, Jasper Ward, and Sarah N. Lynch

WASHINGTON – The individual accused of stalking Donald Trump’s Florida golf course with a rifle has been indicted on a charge of attempted assassination of a political candidate, federal prosecutors announced on Tuesday.

Ryan Routh, 58, is already facing two gun-related charges after authorities reported that he aimed a rifle through a fence at Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15, while the former president was golfing there. Routh is currently being held in jail as he awaits his trial.

Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, "The Justice Department will not tolerate violence that strikes at the heart of our democracy, and we will find and hold accountable those who perpetrate it. This must stop."

A federal grand jury in Miami returned the indictment late Tuesday afternoon. The charge of attempted assassination carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who previously dismissed a criminal case in July against Trump related to the mishandling of classified documents after his presidency.

Routh has not yet entered a plea, and his legal team has attempted unsuccessfully to secure his release on bond.

Prosecutors have recently presented evidence they claim suggests a plot to murder Trump. They allege that months before the incident, Routh delivered a letter to an unidentified individual referencing “an assassination attempt on Donald Trump.”

Additionally, Routh reportedly spent a month in South Florida, with cell phone data indicating he was near the golf course and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. Court filings revealed he had a handwritten list of dates and venues where Trump was scheduled to appear.

A U.S. Secret Service agent patrolling the golf course prior to Trump’s arrival fired shots after discovering the rifle protruding from the fence, prompting Routh to flee. He was apprehended about an hour later along a Florida highway.

Initially, Routh faced charges for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and for possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.