WATCH: Police Release Bodycam Footage Showing Arrest Of Suspected Trump Shooter Ryan Routh

On Monday, Florida authorities released the bodycam footage of would-be Trump assassin Ryan Wesley Routh's arrest on I-95 after he fled the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach after Secret Service agents opened fire. 

During a round of golf on Sunday, President Trump was tackled by the Secret Service after Routh was able to get within a few hundred yards of President Trump's location with an AK-14 rifle, a GoPro camera, and two backpacks. The would-be assassin was confronted by the Secret Service when one of the agents who was scouting the golf course saw the barrel of the weapon pointing out of a chain-link fence. Routh fled the scene after agents opened fire about 300 to 500 yards away from Trump. A witness photographed Routh's black Nissan license plate as he fled. The suspect was apprehended by authorities about 50 miles away, traveling north on I-95. According to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, the witness who saw Routh escape from the bushes later identified him.

The bodycam footage released on Monday showed the moment that the heavily armed Florida police apprehended Routh on the side of the road on I-95. As the Secret Service and FBI continue to investigate the incident, Martin County Sheriff Will Snyder questioned whether or not Routh was only a lone gunman or if he was working with others. "How does a guy from not here get all the way to Trump International, realize that the president, former president of the United States is golfing and is able to get a rifle in that vicinity?" Sheriff Snyder asked. "I think that's the question the FBI, the Secret Service are laser-focused on today... is this guy part of a conspiracy?"

After authorities identified the gunman, Routh's personal story became the subject of much scrutiny in an attempt to ascertain his motive. The North Carolina man has a decades-long criminal history that goes back to the 1990s and includes being charged with possession of a weapon of mass destruction in 2002. The 58-year-old has also previously been charged with a hit-and-run offense, resisting arrest, and a concealed weapons violation, according to CBS News.

While authorities have not revealed Routh's motive for targeting Trump, a look at his social media paints a clear picture of his potential motivations. Across multiple platforms, Routh has been critical of Trump both during his presidency and his presidential campaign. "@realDonaldTrump While you were my choice in 2106, I and the world hoped that president Trump would be different and better than the candidate, but we all were greatly disappointment and it seems you are getting worse and devolving," Routh wrote on Twitter in June 2020. "I will be glad when you gone." While it is unclear whether he actually voted for Trump in 2016 (he did not vote in the Republican primary), Routh has a long history of voting for and donating to Democrats.

The man also has a long history of supporting Ukraine, even traveling to the country in 2022 to try to fight in the war. After being rejected by the Ukrainian armed forces given his age, Routh, who was interviewed by The New York Times and Semafor in 2023, worked on getting more foreign fighters involved in the war effort. "My initial goal was to come fight … but I'm 56, so initially they were like, I have no military experience, so they were like, you're not an ideal candidate," he explained to Newsweek Romania in 2022. "So they said, not right this minute. So plan B was to come here to Kyiv and promote getting more people here."

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  • Article Source: DC Enquirer
  • Photo: Martin County Sherriff's Office
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