In a press conference held on Monday, FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Veltri of the Miami Field Office confirmed that the FBI had received a tip in 2019 concerning Ryan Wesley Routh, the man now charged in connection with an alleged attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump. Routh, 58, was arrested on Sunday and charged with possession of a firearm as a felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, reports Just The News.
Veltri revealed that the FBI had been alerted to Routh in 2019 for being a felon in possession of a firearm. “I can also share with you that he was the subject of a previously closed 2019 tip to the FBI,” Veltri said. The tip alleged that Routh, a convicted felon, was unlawfully in possession of a firearm. However, when the bureau followed up on the tip, the individual who initially provided the information could not verify their original complaint. As a result, the FBI passed the information to local law enforcement in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Routh has a criminal history, including a 2002 conviction in Greensboro, North Carolina, for possessing a weapon of mass death and destruction. In 2010, he was also convicted of multiple counts of possession of stolen goods. After living in North Carolina for most of his life, Routh relocated to Kaaawa, Hawaii, in 2018.
Bodycam footage was released of Sunday afternoon’s incident when Secret Service agents engage with the armed suspect near where Trump was golfing at his Palm Beach property. The suspect fled after an exchange of gunfire and was later arrested by Martin County authorities.
The video footage shows Routh walking backwards toward law enforcement with his hands over his head. Authorities then restrain him.
Routh faces charges for possessing a firearm as a felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1835722390162346122
