US Department of Justice Charges Suspect in Attempted Assassination of Donald Trump

The US Department of Justice has charged Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump, with illegal possession of a firearm and other related crimes.

According to reports from Reuters and CNN, Routh was charged with two firearms-related crimes after attempting to assassinate the Republican presidential candidate on the golf course owned by Trump in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Routh had been waiting at the scene with a rifle and food for almost 12 hours, starting at 1:59 that day, according to phone records. Additional charges are expected to be added, but by first charging him with unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, law enforcement will be able to keep him in custody and continue their investigation.

Former President Trump, who was between the 5th and 6th holes of the golf course about 300 meters away from the scene at the time of the shooting, was not injured. This is the second assassination attempt on Trump since July 13th.

Routh has been convicted of at least two felonies in North Carolina. In 2002, he pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered fully automatic firearm, and in 2010, he pleaded guilty to possession of stolen property.