GREENSBORO, N.C. — Authorities are investigating Ryan Routh, the man accused of an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, with strong ties to Greensboro. New details about the case are constantly emerging.
The Secret Service and FBI held a news conference Monday afternoon, providing key updates. Officials confirmed that Routh never fired a gun and never had a line of sight on the former president.
This development comes just hours after Routh appeared before a federal judge, facing two gun-related charges. WFMY News 2 spoke with people who knew Routh to learn more about his background.
His last known residence in North Carolina was a home on Hiat Street, hidden behind a white fence. Neighbors told us it had been a while since they last saw Routh in the area.
Neighbor Kim Muengo shared that Routh and his daughter cleaned out the home back in May. At that time, Routh mentioned he had moved to Hawaii and had been away from the Hiat Street house for over a year. Muengo noted that while they never discussed politics, Routh had a large collection of guns and was somewhat eccentric.
"I saw a horse in the house. A whole live horse inside the house," Muengo said, laughing. "Like I said, the guns and stuff, but they didn’t bother me, and I didn’t bother them. He hugged me when he left in May."
WFMY also spoke with Tim Bryson, one of Routh's former classmates. Bryson attended Guilford Junior High (now Guilford Middle) and Western Guilford High School with Routh. He described Routh as social and well-liked during their school years.
In 2021, Bryson, who owns a residential and commercial design company, hired Routh to build a roof. He remembered Routh as friendly and professional, with no trouble on the job.
"I was shocked," Bryson said. "I was like, 'Oh my God, I know that guy.' But like I said, he was a nice guy. I would never have imagined him being involved in something like this. If I was in Vegas, I would’ve lost because I’d never bet on him trying to shoot the president."
The investigation continues as authorities piece together Routh's actions and motives.
That shock is a common sentiment among those who claim to have known Routh. Many people have also mentioned that it's been 10 to 15 years since they last saw him.
Stay connected to local, national, and breaking news: Download the WFMY News 2 app.
►Text the word APP to 336-379-5775
MORE WAYS TO GET WFMY NEWS 2
Subscribe to our daily newsletter, Let’s Get 2 It!
Download the WFMY News 2 APP from your Apple or Google Play store.
ADD THE WFMY+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or search for WFMY.
Amazon Fire TV: Search for WFMY to find the free app to add to your account. You can also add the app directly to your Fire TV through your Amazon account.