The Republican presidential candidate and former US president, Donald Trump, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt on Sunday, September 15, shocking the nation. The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, appeared in federal court on Monday, September 16, charged with two federal gun offenses.
According to reports from Reuters, Routh may face additional charges. However, the US Department of Justice stated that the two initial charges include “possession of a firearm by a convicted felon” and “possession of a firearm with an erased serial number.” These charges will allow authorities to detain him during the investigation.
The detention hearing is scheduled for September 23, with the preliminary hearing set for September 30.
As reported by CNN, Routh appeared in court on Monday morning in West Palm Beach federal court wearing dark prison attire and shackles.
During the federal court hearing, Routh nodded in response to the judge’s questions and said, “Yes, Your Honor.”
The judge found that Routh could not afford to hire his own lawyer. Routh told the judge that his monthly income before his arrest was $3,000 but he had no assets other than two trucks in Hawaii.
Prosecutor Adam McMichael stated that they would request pretrial detention for him, citing the risk of flight and danger to society.
Authorities believe Routh planned to attack Trump while he was playing golf on Sunday.
On Sunday, Secret Service agents found Routh lurking outside the perimeter of the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida, hiding in the bushes with an AK-47 rifle equipped with a scope, aiming the gun towards Trump’s direction as he was playing golf.
Secret Service personnel engaged in a “firefight” with the suspect. After the suspect fled, security personnel discovered two backpacks and a Go-Pro camera near the firearm. The shooting position was approximately 300 to 500 yards away from Trump. The suspect was later apprehended.
The FBI is investigating this “assassination attempt” incident.