US media has identified Ryan Wesley Routh as a suspect in the attempted assassination attempt on US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Florida.
Mr Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, is originally from North Carolina and has spent the majority of his life there, according to property records, but he has most recently lived in Hawaii.
His known activities create a mixed picture of his ideology, and he appears to have been passionate about Ukraine’s military effort. He has also had some legal troubles. Here are some other facts we know about him.
What does Mr Routh’s social media show?
“I am coming to Ukraine from Hawaii to fight for your kids and families and democracy.. I will come and die for you,” a post on X reads.
There are also pro-Palestinian, pro-Taiwan, and anti-China messages on his profile, including allegations about Chinese “biological warfare” and references to the Covid-19 virus as an “attack”.
Mr. Routh supported President Trump at one point, writing in a post on X that the Republican was “my choice in 2016”, but that he was “getting worse and devolving” and continuing: “I will be glad when you [are] gone.”
Mr. Routh has also been seen online urging President Joe Biden and Vice-President Harris to meet victims of a shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania when another attempt was made on Trump’s life in July, TBPA News learned.
How Mr. Routh is connected to Ukraine?
In 2023, Mr Routh told the New York Times that he planned to help Ukraine’s military effort by recruiting Afghan soldiers who had escaped the Taliban.
In a phone conversation with the newspaper, he said hundreds of soldiers were interested and that he planned to relocate them from Pakistan and Iran to Ukraine, some illegally.
“We can probably purchase some passports through Pakistan since it’s such a corrupt country,” he told me.
Ryan Wesley Routh also told the newspaper that he was in Washington to speak with the US Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe to advocate for additional funding for Ukraine.
Routh appears to have been active in recruitment as recently as July. One Facebook post from July said, “Soldiers, please do not call me. We are still attempting to convince Ukraine to accept Afghan soldiers and anticipate receiving a response in the next months. Please be patient.
Ukraine’s International Legion of Foreign Volunteers has denied any involvement, while other Ukrainian officials have distanced themselves from him. President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned political violence.
“Playing with fire has its consequences,” warned Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov, as quoted by Reuters.
What is Mr. Routh’s criminal record like?
According to CBS, Mr Routh’s legal difficulties date back to the 1990s, when he was charged with writing bad checks.
Mr Routh was charged with and convicted of many felony offenses in Guilford County, North Carolina, between 2002 and 2010, according to CBS.
In 2002, he was charged with having a weapon of mass destruction. In another incident, he was charged with misdemeanors such as hit-and-run, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
His claimed offenses include driving with a revoked license, possessing stolen items, and hit-and-run with a motor vehicle.
Former neighbor Kim Mungo, who describes Mr. Routh as a “sweetheart,” said federal authorities invaded Mr. Routh’s residence.
She claimed that he used to have “loads of stolen property and stuff” at home. She also claimed to have witnessed Routh and his relatives openly discharging weapons.
What about Mr. Routh’s family members?
Mr. Routh’s son described him as “a loving and caring father, as well as an honest and hardworking man”.
His eldest son, Oran, told CNN via text message: “I don’t know what happened in Florida, and I hope things have just been blown out of proportion because from what I’ve heard, it doesn’t sound like the man I know to do anything crazy, much less violent.”
What are Mr. Routh’s political affiliations?
CBS reported. According to the North Carolina Board of Elections, Mr Routh voted Democratic in person during the party’s 2024 primary.
He is registered as an independent voter, despite a social media post claiming he supported Trump in 2016.
Mr Routh is still in detention, and no official charges have yet been brought against him. He is scheduled to appear before a judge later on Monday at the Palm Beach County Courthouse in Mar-a-Lago.
“We’re not sure right now if the individual was able to shoot at our agents, but our agents were definitely able to engage with the suspect,” said Rafael Barros of the Secret Service Miami Field Office.
However, TBPA News learned that Mr. Routh did not fire any shots. It was the servicemen protecting the former president who fired the shot.
He stated that “the threat level is high” following the recent assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania.
The FBI has announced an investigation and claims it is collaborating with local law enforcement.
