GREENSBORO, N.C. — WFMY News 2 has learned tonight that the man law enforcement sources have tied to an apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump has ties to Greensboro.
Law enforcement sources told the Associated Press that investigators arrested Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, on Sunday. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said a Secret Service agent spotted someone with a rifle at Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach before opening fire.
Sheriff Bradshaw said the suspect fled the scene in an SUV as agents approached his position. Investigators found an AK-47 rifle, two backpacks and a GoPro Camera at the golf course. Routh was arrested without further incident after authorities tracked down his vehicle.
Voter registration records show Routh is registered to vote in North Carolina and listed a Greensboro address. WFMY News 2 went to that address, where a neighbor said Routh lived there but moved out earlier this year.
Voting records show Routh is registered as an unaffiliated voter. They also show he voted in the Democratic Primary in March 2024.
The Department of Adult Corrections website shows Routh has a lengthy criminal history in Guilford County, going back to 2002. According to arrest records, Routh was charged with many things, ranging from hit-and-run to possession of a weapon of mass destruction.
Routh's LinkedIn page says he studied mechanical engineering at North Carolina A&T. The university confirmed Routh attended two semesters at the school in 1995, but he left without earning a degree. He was last enrolled in December 1995. His LinkedIn page also says he lived in Hawaii and owned a shed-building company called Camp Box Honolulu.
CBS News has found several social media profiles that appear to be tied to Routh. He made no threats, but he did post frequently about politics. Some of his posts referenced Trump directly.
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