09-17-2024, 05:30 AM
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Trump gunman arrestAuthorities found an SKS-style rifle, a scope, and bags with food at the location where Routh was hiding. (Photo: captured from the footage released by the Martin County Sheriff's Office)

Bodycam footage released by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office reveals the moment when Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspected gunman in an attempt on Donald Trump’s life, was arrested.

Routh, 58, faces federal gun charges, including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.


The footage shows Routh in sunglasses, walking backward toward officers with his shirt over his head before being handcuffed. He was apprehended in Martin County, about 45 minutes after shots were fired at Trump, who was unharmed.

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A witness reportedly saw Routh fleeing and provided law enforcement with details of the car he escaped in, leading to his capture.

Authorities found an SKS-style rifle, a scope, and bags with food at the location where Routh was hiding. The rifle’s serial number had been filed off, and cellphone records indicated that Routh had been near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course for nearly 12 hours before the shooting incident.

Routh, previously convicted of felony gun charges in North Carolina in 2002, had a history of violence. He had barricaded himself in a local business with a machine gun during a standoff.

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Authorities believe this recent incident could have been motivated by his support for Ukraine, as Routh had been involved in fundraising and reportedly authored an e-book criticizing world leaders, including Trump.

Also Read: | ‘Violence has no place in America,’ says Kamala Harris after second assassination attempt on Trump

Though charged with firearm possession, Routh has not yet been formally accused of attempting to assassinate Trump. If convicted of the firearm charges, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

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This is the second attempt on Trump’s life in the past two months, following a July incident at a Pennsylvania rally.

(With inputs from The Guardian, Forbes)

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