FLORIDA, USA — Ryan Routh, the man accused of plotting to kill former President Donald Trump in Florida earlier this month, has pleaded not guilty to five charges — including one for the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, according to CBS News.
Routh appeared in court Monday, 15 days after he was initially arrested after Secret Service agents spotted him with a high-powered rifle concealed in brush outside the Trump International Golf Club.
He initially fled the scene in a vehicle but was later apprehended by authorities. In the aftermath of the incident, WFMY News 2 learned Routh had many tied to the Greensboro area.
According to records, Routh had over 100 run-ins with the Greensboro Police Department. He was charged with various crimes over the years, including a count of possessing a weapon of mass destruction related to a 2002 incident.
Routh owned many properties throughout Guilford County, and voter registration records showed him registered to vote in North Carolina and listed a Greensboro address. Routh lived in Greensboro before moving to Hawaii earlier in 2024 with his son to operate a shed building company.
Since then, Routh's son — Oren Routh — has been arrested and charged with possessing child secual abuse images. He was arrested last week in Greensboro "in connection with an investigation unrelated to child exploitation," an FBI official said in court papers.
In court filings last week, prosecuters said Ryan Routh left a handwritten letter to a friend stating his intent to assassinate Trump.
This is an ongoing investigation. Stay tuned to WFMY News 2 for the latest updates.
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