Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced that the state will launch its own investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club on Sunday.
“The State of Florida will be conducting its own investigation regarding the attempted assassination at Trump International Golf Club,” DeSantis posted on X (formerly Twitter) Sunday evening. “The people deserve the truth about the would-be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee.”
The incident occurred while Trump was playing golf at his West Palm Beach club. Secret Service agents, stationed at a nearby hole, noticed a man with a rifle pushing the muzzle of the firearm through the perimeter of the golf course, authorities said.
The weapon, an AK-47-style rifle, was reportedly spotted sticking through the bushes at a distance of between 300 and 500 yards from Trump’s position.
A Secret Service agent fired at the suspect, who dropped the rifle and fled in a vehicle. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to the situation around 1:30 p.m., prompting local authorities to swiftly lock down the area, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.
The suspect was later tracked down while traveling on I-95, moving from Palm Beach County into Martin County. A witness had captured a photograph of the suspect’s vehicle, leading authorities to his apprehension.
Upon further investigation, law enforcement recovered the AK-47-style rifle with a scope, along with two backpacks and a GoPro camera left behind in the bushes where the suspect had been spotted, Bradshaw said.
Trump’s campaign and law enforcement officials quickly assured the public that the former president was unharmed and safe following the incident.
Though authorities have yet to publicly identify the suspect, media reports have named the individual as Ryan Wesley Routh, a 58-year-old white male with ties to North Carolina and Hawaii. NewsNation reported that Routh had been convicted in 2002 for possession of a weapon of mass destruction, referencing records from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.
Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg told NewsNation that Routh had not previously been on law enforcement’s radar.
This incident follows closely on the heels of another assassination attempt in July, when a shooter opened fire at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania. In that attack, the former president was grazed by a bullet, and one spectator was killed.
The July shooting led to significant scrutiny of the Secret Service’s security protocols, culminating in the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle after facing tough questioning from Congress.
Sunday’s assassination attempt has reignited concerns over the Secret Service’s ability to protect high-profile political figures.
The House task force investigating the July incident requested an immediate briefing from the Secret Service regarding the agency’s response to the West Palm Beach shooting.
In a joint statement, task force leaders Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Jason Crow (D-Colo.) said, “We are thankful that the former President was not harmed but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all of its forms.”
Authorities are still investigating the suspect’s motive. According to The New York Times, Routh had been active on social media, expressing strong views on the war in Ukraine.
He was also featured in a Times article about pro-Ukrainian foreign fighters and reportedly traveled to Ukraine in 2022 to recruit ex-Afghan soldiers to join the fight against Russia.
