New Delhi: Former US President Donald Trump narrowly avoided what authorities are calling an assassination attempt at his golf course in Florida on Sunday. The FBI reports that Ryan Wesley Routh, a 58-year-old suspect, was apprehended after Secret Service agents fired shots near the Trump property. Routh, who was allegedly hiding in the shrubbery, was found to have been armed with a high-powered AK-47-style rifle equipped with a scope, along with a GoPro camera.According to eyewitnesses, Routh fled the scene in a black car after the Secret Service agents opened fire. Thanks to witness assistance and subsequent police efforts, authorities successfully tracked down the vehicle and arrested Routh. We have somebody in custody right now that is a potential suspect, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw confirmed during a press conference, as reported by AFP.Who Is Ryan Wesley RouthRyan Wesley Routh, identified by the New York Times, is a former construction worker from Greensboro, North Carolina. Despite lacking formal military training, Routh had previously expressed a strong inclination towards armed conflict, especially in relation to the war in Ukraine following Russias invasion in 2022. On the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Routh had declared his readiness to fight and die in Ukraine. His posts reflected a broader advocacy for civilian intervention in global conflicts.I AM WILLING TO FLY TO KRAKOW AND GO TO THE BORDER OF UKRAINE TO VOLUNTEER AND FIGHT AND DIE, he wrote on X.Additionally, Rouths profile on the messaging application Signal included a declaration that Civilians must change this war and prevent future wars. His WhatsApp bio further emphasized his commitment to human rights, freedom and democracy.Rouths actions extended beyond online rhetoric. In 2023, he reportedly traveled to Ukraine to support the war effort and recruit Afghan soldiers. This incident was not Rouths first encounter with violence in 2002, he faced arrest in Greensboro after barricading himself inside a building with an automatic weapon. The details of the outcome of that case remain unclear.Trumps safety confirmedIn the wake of the incident, Trumps campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, reassured the public, stating, President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity.Trump himself addressed the situation in a fundraising message on his website, expressing relief: Fear not! I am safe and well, and no one was hurt. Thank God!This incident comes just weeks after a separate assassination attempt during a rally in Pennsylvania, where a would-be assassin fired a shot from a distance that grazed Trumps ear. The suspect in that case was subsequently killed by authorities.
