Prosecutors believe Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, from Hawaii, was targeting Trump while he was at his West Palm Beach golf club, staking out an area roughly 300 to 500 yards away, on the public side of the fence. Investigators say phone records place Routh just outside the course’s perimeter for nearly 12 hours. (WPEC)
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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The major roadway bordering Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach has reopened after a tense weekend marked by an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Summit Boulevard, closed temporarily between Congress and Kirk Road, was the scene where authorities reported Ryan Weasley Routh was seen with a rifle.
A vehicle with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office is parked outside of Trump International Golf Club after the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Just 24 hours ago, the area was swarming with law enforcement, blocking access to the very bushes where Routh may have been hiding for 12 hours.
WPEC’s Katie Bente approached the site, mindful of no-trespassing signs, to get a closer look at how someone could have managed to stay undetected for so long.
There are large visible gaps in the hedges bordering Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, as well as plenty of space to move between the shrubs and the fence, with the course right on the other side. (WPEC)
There are large visible gaps in the hedges that could allow someone to crawl through, as well as plenty of space to move between the shrubs and the fence, with the golf course right on the other side.
Around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Trump was making his way toward the green while playing an unscheduled round of golf, when a U.S. Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of a rifle poking out from the trees and opened fire.
The incident has raised serious security concerns.
On Monday, Trump spoke about the apparent assassination attempt for the first time during an X Spaces conversation, where he was expected to announce a new cryptocurrency venture. “All of a sudden, we heard shots being fired in the air—probably four or five—and it sounded like bullets, but what do I know?” he said.
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There are large visible gaps in the hedges bordering Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, as well as plenty of space to move between the shrubs and the fence, with the course right on the other side. (WPEC)
Authorities say Routh never fired his weapon or had a clear shot at Trump, but he was staked out about 300 to 500 yards away from the former president, on the public side of the fence near the intersection of Congress and Summit Boulevard.
Phone records show Routh arrived at Trump International around 2 a.m., and investigators believe he may have been having in the wooded area for hours, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Photos that show an SKS-style rifle, a backpack and a Go-Pro camera on a fence outside Trump International Golf Club taken after an apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, are displayed during a news conference at the Palm Beach County Main Library, Sunday. Sept. 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephany Matat)
Investigators say he was armed with a loaded SKS-style rifle, two bags of supplies, and even some food.
Officer body camera footage captured the moment he was caught after fleeing in a black SUV.
While it’s unclear where the vehicle was parked, gas stations, fast food places, and a post office are all just a few hundred feet away.
Routh is facing two firearm charges, and more charges could be on the way as the investigation continues.
