Gunman who tried to attack Trump remained ‘silent’ during arrest, has already faced criminal charges

A 58-year-old man, Ryan Wesley Routh, who was taken into custody in connection with the apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday, remained silent when apprehended by law enforcement and has prior run-ins with the law, credible reports have suggested.

David Aronberg, state attorney for Palm Beach County, Florida, said the suspect knew enough to remain silent during a situation similar to a wildfire.

Several shots were fired near Trump while he was on his golf course in Florida. The local sheriff said a Secret Service agent spotted an AK-47-style rifle with a scope sticking out of the bushes near a hole in front of where Trump was playing, and engaged the suspect.

After the incident, law enforcement arrested the suspect and the FBI eventually labeled the case an “assassination attempt” against the former president. The incident came nine weeks after Trump survived another assassination attempt at a rally in Boulder, Pennsylvania.

The state charged him with committing a “bad check” offense in 1998. In addition, several courts have ordered him to pay tens of thousands of dollars to plaintiffs in various civil lawsuits.