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Accused Trump gunman Ryan Wesley Routh hid in sniper’s nest for nearly 12 hours before he was spotted by Secret Service

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Accused Trump gunman Ryan Wesley Routh hid in sniper’s nest for nearly 12 hours before he was spotted by Secret Service

Ryan Wesley Routh, the alleged would-be Trump assassin, set up a sniper’s nest near the former president’s golf course and hid there for nearly 12 hours before the apparent ambush attempt, federal prosecutors said Monday.

Routh’s cellphone pinged to the spot on the edge of Trump International West Palm Beach starting from 1:59 a.m. Sunday, the federal criminal complaint said.

His gun barrel was spotted by a Secret Service agent about 1:30 p.m. — while Trump was on the links 300 to 500 yards away.

A van carrying Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in the apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, is driven from the federal courthouse after he attended an initial appearance on Sept. 16, 2024. Getty Images

In the sniper’s nest, agents found a digital camera, two bags and a loaded SKS-style rifle with its serial number scratched off and unreadable, according to the complaint.

Bodycam footage shows Routh as he was arrested in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Martin County Sheriff’s Office
Routh’s backpack and gun are seen shortly after he was arrested.

SKS-style rifles are not manufactured in Florida and the weapon was either brought in from another state or country, the complaint reads.

Moments after the Secret Service agent fired at Routh, a witness saw the suspect speeding away from the golf course in a Nissan sport utility vehicle with stolen license plates.

Routh was arrested after a Secret Service agent spotted him. Martin County Sheriff’s Office
Ryan Wesley Routh in a 2010 mugshot. AP
Members of the FBI at the crime scene outside the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15, 2024. AFP via Getty Images

Routh was later caught by authorities on I-95.

Here’s what we know about the assassination attempt on Trump in Florida:

According to the complaint, Routh was convicted in 2002 in Greensboro, North Carolina, after he was found with a weapon of mass death and destruction.

He was later convicted in 2010 of multiple counts of possession of stolen goods, per the complaint.

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