Online presence of alleged Trump shooter comes under FBI scrutiny

Law enforcement officials painted a broader picture of the apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, saying they were combing through the suspect’s extensive online presence.

Ryan Routh, 58, was charged Monday with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession and receipt of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Florida.

At a press conference Monday afternoon, Jeffrey Veltri, head of the FBI’s Miami field office, said several requests had been made to companies regarding Routh’s phone number and social media accounts.

Veltri noted that Routh has been active online. Many of his social media posts relate to his alleged efforts to recruit fighters for Ukraine, and Veltri said those are also part of the FBI investigation. The bureau is also interviewing Routh’s friends and family in Hawaii and North Carolina.

At the moment, Veltri said, there is no reason to believe the suspect is working with anyone else. “At this point, we are still looking into it and investigating,” he said.

The complaint included some tantalizing details about Routh’s alleged actions. Cellphone records obtained by law enforcement indicated that Routh may have been near the golf course for about 12 hours before he was spotted. The license plate of the Nissan SUV in which Routh was arrested was also allegedly registered to a 2012 Ford truck that had been reported stolen.

The criminal complaint allows authorities to keep Routh in custody pending formal charges, which are expected to be filed on Sept. 30. Additional charges could be added at that time.

The incident occurred Sunday as Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, was playing golf at his Trump International Golf Club. Additional charges could be filed against Routh, who was arrested by Martin County officials and later arraigned in West Palm Beach.

According to the indictment, a Secret Service agent walking the grounds of the club around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday saw what appeared to be a rifle sticking out of a line of trees. The agent fired in the direction of the rifle. A witness then saw Routh flee the area and get into a Nissan SUV.

The SUV was found about 45 minutes later and Routh was arrested after a police chase.

At Monday’s press conference, Secret Service Deputy Director Ronald Rowe said the gunman did not have Trump in his sights, who was immediately evacuated. Rowe said he did not know how the suspect could have known Trump would be playing golf that day, since it was not a publicly scheduled event.

Rowe said he had briefed Trump, adding that the former president was “aware that he enjoys the highest level of protection from the Secret Service.”

But the Secret Service chief said the second attack prompted some self-reflection. “We need to look at our protection methodology,” Rowe said. “We need to move away from a reactive model and toward a preparedness model.”

Investigators found that Routh had previously been convicted of possession of a weapon of mass destruction in December 2002 and of multiple counts of possession of stolen goods in March 2010, the indictment states. Both convictions occurred in North Carolina.

The federal charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. The charge of obscuring the serial number can carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The case is U.S. v. Routh, 24-mj-08441, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida.