A Florida grand jury has indicted Ryan Routh on charges of attempting to assassinate former president Donald Trump, along with four other charges, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
The indictment stems from an alleged incident that took place on September 15, when Routh, armed with a rifle, reportedly hid in the treeline near Trump International Golf Course, awaiting Trump’s arrival. Secret Service agents spotted the barrel of Routh’s rifle, leading them to open fire, according to court documents.
Routh fled the scene but was later apprehended after a witness saw him driving a black Nissan Xterra. A search of the vehicle revealed a “handwritten list of dates in August, September, and October and venues where the former President had appeared or was expected to be present,” as stated by the Department of Justice.
In addition to attempted assassination, Routh is facing charges for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. These charges are added to two federal gun charges the 58-year-old had already been facing.
“Routh is charged with attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, which strikes at the very heart of our democratic system,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement. “The FBI is continuing our investigation into this alleged plot and will use the full weight and resources of the FBI to uncover and provide as much information as possible about what led to the events in West Palm Beach. In our country, we have to hold accountable people who resort to violence.”
Prosecutors revealed further evidence in the case, including a handwritten letter Routh left in a box with a civilian witness. The letter, addressed to “Dear World,” read, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you,” according to prosecutors.
Routh had been under investigation, and on Monday, prosecutors shared their intent to charge him with attempted assassination during a pretrial detention hearing. The grand jury returned the indictment the following day.
