A shooting broke out this Sunday near Donald Trump. An investigation for “what appears to be an assassination attempt” is underway. The profile of the suspect, a fervent supporter of Ukraine, raises questions.
This Sunday, September 15, a new potential assassination attempt against Donald Trump was foiled by the Secret Service. The American presidential candidate was playing golf in West Palm Beach (Florida), near his Mar-a-Lago residence. Around 1:30 p.m., gunshots were heard near the real estate tycoon. A man was seen outside the golf course, hiding behind a bush and armed with an AK 47 assault rifle. A scene reminiscent of the one at the end of July: Donald Trump was the target of an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania during a rally and narrowly escaped death, a bullet hitting his ear in front of the crowd.
Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, taken into custody
“President Trump is safe after gunshots nearby. No further details at this time,” Trump’s spokesman Steven Cheung said Sunday afternoon (evening in France), specifying that Donald Trump was “safe and sound.” For his part, the main interested party wanted to reassure his voters less than two months before the election: “nothing will stop me, I will never surrender.” In the bush near the golf course, two backpacks and a Go pro camera were found. In the wake of this, an investigation was opened for “what appears to be an attempted assassination,” the FBI said in a statement.
A Secret Service agent actually “saw the end of the rifle sticking out of the bush and immediately fired at the individual,” 300 to 400 meters from the former president of the United States, said Ric Bradshaw, sheriff of Palm Beach County. The 58-year-old man, Ryan Wesley-Routh, was not hit and was able to flee. Subsequently, a witness claimed to have spotted the fugitive and immediately called the authorities: “He said ‘I saw a guy escape from the bush, he jumped into a black Nissan, I took a picture of the car and the license plate.’ Which was great,” said the sheriff. The suspect was stopped about ten kilometers further on the highway to have him identified by the witness, then taken into custody.
Support for Ukraine, an unstable psychological profile
According to several American media outlets, the suspect could be called Ryan Wesley-Routh. The latter, residing in Hawaii according to information from CNN and the New York Times, had criticized Donald Trump several times on social networks. He is also said to be a fervent supporter of Ukraine in the war against Russia. His criminal record shows eight arrests, mostly for minor offenses. The latter is said to work in construction and, according to his Linkedin profile, is said to have a degree in mechanical engineering from the North Carolina Technical and Agricultural University.
As Le Monde reported in its columns on Monday, Ryan Wesley-Routh “exhibits the characteristics of a mythomaniac, a megalomaniac and a weak-willed person”. Very active on X before his account was suspended, he had called out the North Korean dictator Kim-Jong-un, calling him “very smart and educated”, then had given his contact details by offering to host opponents during the demonstrations in Hong Kong. On the subject of the war in Ukraine, he did not hesitate to offer his services, saying he was ready to “fight and die” for Ukraine. He had also explained that his participation in the war between Ukraine and Russia was not possible due to his lack of military experience.