The gunman behind an assassination attempt on former president and once again Republican nominee Donald Trump has been identified.
Law enforcement confirmed to The Associated Press that Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was arrested in a neighboring Florida county after Secret Service officials spotted him with an AK-47 at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach while the former president was playing a round on Sunday. Routh dropped the weapon and fled in an SUV before being pulled over by deputies.
Martin County Sheriff William Snyder told WPTV that Routh had a relatively calm, flat demeanor when pulled over on Interstate 95.
“He never asked, ‘What is this about?’ Obviously, law enforcement with long rifles, blue lights, a lot going on. He never questioned it,” Snyder said.
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While the motive of the attempt is unclear, law enforcement did find Routh’s “nest” that included an AK-47 style rifle, two backpacks, and a GoPro camera.
Routh was convicted in 2002 of possession of a weapon of mass destruction, according to a Greensboro News & Record story. The story said he was pulled over during a traffic stop, put his hand on a gun, and made his way to a nearby roofing business where he barricaded himself inside for three hours. He was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and possessing a weapon of mass destruction, “referring to a fully automatic machine gun.”
Trump has confirmed that he is unharmed after the incident. In July, the former president was grazed on the ear by a bullet during a Butler, Pa. rally. The latest assassination attempt has been taken over by federal authorities.