A man accused of plotting to assassinate former U.S. President Donald Trump has been charged with federal gun crimes.
Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was charged on Monday with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number during his initial court appearance.
Routh was arrested on Sunday after an alleged attempt to shoot Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course.
He is expected to face additional charges at a later arraignment.
During the brief court hearing, Routh appeared calm, responding yes in a soft voice to several questions posed by District Judge Ryon McCabe of the Southern District of Florida.
The arrest occurred after a U.S. Secret Service agent noticed a rifle barrel protruding from shrubbery at the Trump International Golf Course.
Agents, who were positioned in a moving security perimeter ahead of the former president, engaged an individual, according to Rafael Barros of the U.S. Secret Service.
Trump was unharmed in the incident.
Routh fled in a vehicle but was apprehended shortly after.
Sheriff Ric Bradshaw stated that police recovered an “AK-47-style” rifle equipped with a scope, along with two backpacks and a GoPro camera from the scene.
Routh, a self-employed affordable housing builder based in Hawaii, has an arrest record spanning several decades.
According to U.S. media, he regularly posted on social media about politics and current events, including criticism of Trump.
AFP
