The would-be assassin accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump has made his first federal court appearance where he was hit with gun charges on Monday, September 16.
Cops released a new photo of
suspected gunman Ryan Wesley Routh grinning after he was arrested in West Palm
Beach, Florida when fleeing the scene where he made an attempt on the former
president's life.
The 58-year-old is accused of
pointing an AK-47 at the Republican presidential nominee through a fence while
he was playing a round of golf at the Trump International Golf Club on Sunday.
Trump, 78, was unharmed and
rushed to safety by the Secret Service in another close call less than two
months after he was shot in the ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Routh was led into the Paul G
Rogers Federal Courthouse on Monday morning.
The hearing was eight minutes
and Routh was charged on two counts: possession of a firearm while a convicted
felon; and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
He is facing up to 20 years for
the initial two charges.
The charging documents released
on Monday reveal that Routh was perched outside of Trump's golf course for
nearly 12 hours on Sunday before fleeing the scene.
The cell phone of the
construction worker was tracked in the wooded around around the course starting
at 1:59 a.m. on Sunday through 1:31 p.m.
This new information suggests
that Routh was staking out the location and had advance knowledge that the former
president would be golfing there on Sunday.
Routh will face arraignment in
two weeks.
Secret Service opened fire on
Routh in West Palm Beach after they spotted the muzzle of his AK-47 poking
through a fence at Trump International Golf Club while the Republican nominee
was playing a round.
Routh was arrested in Martin
County on Sunday, about 50 miles from the scene of the golf course shooting.
The suspect reportedly provided
routine information to court officials during the Monday hearing.
Those in the room report that
Routh spoke in a soft voice and said he makes around $3,000 per month. He says
he has no savings, real estate or assets besides his two trucks, which are
located in Hawaii and he claims are worth about $1,000.
During a press conference right
after the court appearance Martin County Sheriff Will Snyder answered questions
on whether Routh was involved in a conspiracy.
'How does a guy from not here,
get all the way to Trump International, realize that the former president of
the United States is golfing and is able to get a rifle in that vicinity?' the
sheriff said while speaking with local media.
'Is this guy part of a
conspiracy, a lone gunman?' he went on.
'If he is a lone gunman,
President Trump is that much safer because we have him,' Snyder said. ‘If he is
part of a conspiracy then this whole thing takes on a very ominous tone.’
At another point, Snyder said:
'This is a once in a lifetime event. How many people get a shot off at the
former president of the United States? The poor guy has already been shot once
and then for that suspect to come into this county.'
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