SHOCK SCENE
Bodycam footage shows moment cops arrest would-be Trump ‘assassin’ after suspect ‘pointed rifle through golf club fence’
Routh was within a terrifying 500 yards of the Republican candidate when he was spotted
SHOCKING bodycam footage has captured the moment Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested after attempting to assassinate Donald Trump.
Routh, 58, was caught after Secret Service agents spotted a rifle poking out of some bushes at Trump's West Palm Beach golf club in Florida on Sunday.
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The ex-US president, 78, was rushed to safety as Secret Service agents opened fire on a gunman brandishing an AK-47 in nearby bushes.
Routh was within 500 yards of Trump when he was spotted and fled the scene in an SUV before being captured by police.
Records show the suspect also spent nearly 12 hours near the golf course before being confronted.
Pictures show Routh smirking following his arrest, as cops described him as "calm and emotionless" during his detainment on Sunday.
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Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr said he had been in contact with Trump, and that the former president is "aware that he has the highest levels of protection."
He added that the Service had put together a security plan after Trump took an unscheduled golf trip on Sunday, and said the plan "worked out."
Talking about Trump's safety, Rowe added that would-be assassin Routh "didn't even get close to getting a round off. We apprehended him and brought him to justice. We are very proud of that."
The would-be Trump killer made his first appearance in a federal court on Monday morning where he was charged with federal gun crimes.
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Routh faces two charges: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
If found guilty, officials say he faces up to 15 years in prison for the first charge and a possible five-year sentence on the second charge.
A bond hearing has been scheduled for September 23, and a probable cause hearing has been set for September 30, depending on whether the government secures an indictment on the charges.
Trump 'assassin' unmasked after 'aiming AK-47 at ex-US president' at his golf course
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Cops detained him with an AK-47 type assault rifle weapon and scope, two backpacks, and a GoPro device, according to Palm Beach County sheriff Ric Bradshaw.
Routh lived in North Carolina most of his life before moving to Hawaii in 2018, reports show.
FBI agent Jeffrey B Veltri revealed in a press conference on Monday afternoon that in 2019, Routh was the subject of a closed investigation after someone tipped off the bureau that he had a firearm despite a prior felony conviction.
But Veltri, the most senior FBI official in the Miami field office, said the tipster wouldn't confirm making the report.
Routh and his son appear to operate a shed-building company near Ka'a'awa, a half-hour drive from the state capital Honolulu.
Routh's son Oran spoke out following his father's arrest, describing him as a "good father and a great man."
He added that he hopes "everything has been blown out of proportion," in an interview with CNN.
Police are still building a picture of Routh's life leading up to his alleged attempt to assassinate the former president.
He is believed to have tried to enlist in the Ukrainian army to fight in the war with Russia but was rejected.
The would-be assassin also wrote a bizarre $2 book which he self-published, in which he ranted about "the end of humanity" and blasted former President Trump as "brainless."
Routh allegedly staked out former President Donald Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course by exploiting a long-known security gap that the Secret Service has yet to fully address, reports.
Photographers, including those hired by US publication, have routinely secured spots around the perimeter to take photos of Trump golfing, often without attracting the attention of security.
Some have been able to get as close as 75 yards to Trump using telephoto lenses, unnoticed by the Secret Service.
“They’re always amazed how close they can get to Trump and his entourage — it’s easy for them,” a photo agency source told The New York Post.
Photographers typically notify the Secret Service so they aren’t mistaken for a threat, but still manage to capture images of Trump "shockingly easily" due to what one photographer described as "dozens" of hidden gaps in the dense brush surrounding the course.
In some cases, where there’s no obvious break in the tree line, photographers have been able to pull apart lighter vegetation by hand, creating clear sightlines to the course.
“Just about anyone can watch golfers in action without being seen,” the source noted.
Even when photographers are spotted by Secret Service agents, they are rarely questioned.
"If they do approach the photographers, sometimes they quickly check their credentials, but that’s about it," the source added.
The course is marked with “No Trespassing” signs, but these have proven ineffective at stopping photographers or potentially more dangerous individuals.
The security detail is also easy to spot, as agents approach in golf carts, giving photographers ample time to stay hidden until Trump arrives.
SWITCHING SIDES
Routh appears to have voted for Trump in the 2016 presidential election before switching allegiance.
Voting records show Routh most recently voted in Hawaii's Democratic primary in March 2024 but was registered in North Carolina as an unaffiliated voter in 2012.
In a social media post in June 2020, he wrote: "While you were my choice in 2106 [sic], I and the world hoped that president Trump would be different and better than the candidate, but we all were greatly disappointment [sic] and it seems you are getting worse and devolving.
"I will be glad when you gone [sic]," he added.
Trump's second brush with death came just nine weeks after he survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
He issued a statement following the latest attempt on his life, saying he was "safe and well" and vowing that he would "never surrender."
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden said that the Secret Service "needs more help" after the incident.
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"Thank God the president's okay," Biden told reporters on Monday.
"One thing I want to make clear, the Service needs more help and I think the Congress should respond to their needs, if in fact they need more servicemen," he added.
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