Suspect in Trump assassination attempt had long criminal history

Ryan Routh, identified as a suspect in an alleged assassination attempt on former President Trump, once thrived as a successful roofer. However, according to a retired officer who had over 100 encounters with him, Routh’s life took a drastic turn, leading him to believe the IRS was sending police after him.

Routh’s criminal history in Guilford County, North Carolina, dates from the 1980s to 2010. His charges ranged from writing bad checks to felony firearm possession, having a stolen vehicle, and multiple counts of possessing a weapon of mass destruction in 2002, including a “binary explosive with a 10-inch detonation cord and a blasting cap.”

Eric Rasecke, a retired Greensboro Police Department officer, mentioned Routh’s sense of entitlement. “He felt he could do anything he wanted,” Rasecke said. Rasecke first encountered Routh in the late 1990s during a traffic stop. Routh was frequently seen driving his company trucks in Rasecke’s patrol area.

#StagedAssasinationAttempt
🚨 NEW: President Trump’s golf outing was a “LAST MINUTE decision,” sources tell CNN

This round was NOT on the public schedule, and the public was not informed he’d be there.

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— World life (@seautocure) September 16, 2024

Routh regularly drove with expired licenses and registrations, showing no effort to conceal it. Over time, Rasecke noticed Routh’s drug use, which affected his appearance and made him increasingly paranoid.

Routh’s charges escalated over the years from minor traffic violations to serious offenses like hit-and-run, possessing stolen goods, and eventually the weapon of mass destruction charge. Despite multiple charges, Routh often had them dropped or dismissed, as his crimes did not involve bodily harm.

In December 2002, Routh barricaded himself inside his business on Lee Street with a semi-automatic rifle after a traffic stop. The standoff lasted about three hours before he surrendered. Rasecke recalled, “Negotiators and special teams were involved, and after negotiations, he surrendered.”

Routh’s roofing company, United Roofing, still has remnants in a vacant lot on Husbands Street. However, his former business location was on what was then Lee Street. Routh eventually moved to Hawaii after relocating multiple times, including to Arizona and possibly Alaska.

Timothy Pruitt, branch manager at Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc., had many interactions with Routh during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Pruitt described Routh as “nice” and noted he had about 90 employees at his peak. Pruitt later learned from Routh’s daughter about his moves to different states.

Around seven or eight months ago, Pruitt saw Routh’s frequent political posts on Facebook but chose not to message him. When he saw Routh’s photo on TV related to the assassination attempt, he was shocked.

Daniel Redford, president of the Charlotte Fraternal Order of Police, expressed concern over Routh’s access to firearms despite his criminal record. Redford emphasised the need for stricter punishments for felons possessing weapons, citing the current volatile political climate.

Brett Rosen, a criminal defence attorney, stated that Routh’s criminal record alone should not have been a red flag for law enforcement, considering the large population in the U.S. Rosen pointed out that Routh was at the golf course for about 12 hours before being discovered by Secret Service, questioning the thoroughness of their security sweep.

Rosen also suggested that authorities might charge Routh with attempted murder if sufficient evidence is found.