New and disturbing details were revealed Monday in the case against Ryan Routh, who allegedly armed himself with a rifle and GoPro camera and lurked behind a chain link fence at Trump International Golf Club on Sunday, September 15th, to try and assassinate GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.
According to a Dept. of Justice filing released earlier ahead of a pre-trial detention hearing, Routh was positioned “directly in line with the 6th hole” when the Secret Service agent spotted him.
The former president had been playing the 5th hole at the time.
“The Agent then observed a long black object protruding through the fence and realized the object was the barrel of a rifle aimed directly at him.” Soon after, the agent engaged Routh, who fled the scene, leaving behind evidence of his alleged crime.
SEE ALSO: The Background on the Alleged Suspect in New Trump Assassination Attempt Is Something Else
According to the filing, “FBI agents located an SKS semiautomatic 7.62×39 caliber rifle with a scope attached and an extended magazine. The rifle was loaded with a total of 11 rounds and had a round in the chamber.”
The backpack and shopping bags they found at the scene allegedly “contained plates,” which the DOJ said, “Subsequent preliminary ballistics testing showed the plates were capable of stopping small arms fire.”
The Nissan Xterra Routh was driving when he was taken into custody contained “two additional license plates.” Also, “the license plate on the Nissan Xterra was not registered” to that vehicle.
Six cell phones were discovered, one of which “contained a Google search of how to travel from Palm Beach County to Mexico.” They also found a passport, a dozen pairs of gloves, and a handwritten note that included dates for where Trump “had appeared or was expected to be present.”
Chillingly, they also noted that Routh’s cell phone had allegedly pinged towers near Mar-a-Lago and his golf club for a month ahead of his assassination attempt:
On multiple days and times from August 18, 2024, to September 15, 2024, ROUTH’s cell phone accessed cell towers located near Trump International and the former President’s residence at Mar-a-Lago.
They also included the first page of a letter allegedly dropped off by Routh to an unnamed witness months prior to the September 15th attempt on Trump’s life:
On September 18, 2024, law enforcement was contacted by a civilian witness who stated that ROUTH had dropped off a box at his residence several months prior. After learning of the September 15, 2024, incident at Trump International, the witness opened the box. The witness stated the box contained ammunition, a metal pipe, miscellaneous building materials, tools, four phones, and various letters. One handwritten letter, addressed to “The World,” stated, among other things, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.” The witness took a photograph of the first page of the handwritten letter, as shown below:
Here’s that page:
DOJ releases a letter in case vs. attempted Trump assassin Ryan Routh: “Dear World, This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you. I tried my best… It’s up to you now to finish the job; & I’ll offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.” pic.twitter.com/ERLeLW8DEK
— Jerry Dunleavy IV 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) September 23, 2024
Some, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), have criticized the DOJ for releasing the letter, saying it effectively puts a bounty on Trump’s head:
The DOJ released a letter written by Ryan Wesley Routh offering $150,000 to anyone who could ‘finish the job’ on President Trump.
The DOJ, which is trying to put Trump in prison, is now offering a bounty on Trump’s head by releasing this.
Why else would they release this? pic.twitter.com/r5u3RFBrIC
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) September 23, 2024
The full filing can be read here.
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