Trump's suspected would-be assassin in 2002 wielded fully automatic machine gun in 3-hour standoff with police: Report

Ryan Routh — the suspect in Sunday's apparent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump in Florida, the second in two months — in 2002 wielded a fully automatic machine gun amid a three-hour standoff with police in North Carolina, according to a report from the Greensboro News & Record.

The paper's story focused on federal agencies — including the Secret Service and Homeland Security — that arrived Sunday night at a Greensboro address associated with Routh, who is 58 years old. The News & Record said officers departed the residence at 2106 Hiatt St. after spending a few minutes there, adding that it wasn't clear if they took anything from the home.

The News & Record also said in its Sunday piece that 'Routh has had multiple encounters with law enforcement dating back to 1998 with about 100 arrests, according to a LexisNexis search of his name.'

Much further into the report was a link to a brief News & Record story dated Dec. 16, 2002, which the paper's Sunday story said involved Routh.

The 2002 story says "an armed man was arrested Monday morning after barricading himself in a business during a three-hour standoff, police said. Ryan Routh, 36, was arrested without incident at 1 a.m. Monday at United Roofing, 1735 W. Lee St., Greensboro police said."

The story goes on to say that "Routh was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a weapon of mass destruction, referring to a fully automatic machine gun. He was also charged with resisting, delaying and obstructing a law enforcement officer and driving while license revoked."

The 2002 incident commenced after police pulled over Routh three hours prior, after which he "put his hand on a firearm and drove to United Roofing," the paper's story says. Sunday's News & Record article said Routh worked at United Roofing at the time. It isn't clear what happened to Routh after his 2002 arrest.

The News & Record also said in its Sunday piece that "Routh has had multiple encounters with law enforcement dating back to 1998 with about 100 arrests, according to a LexisNexis search of his name."

The paper's Sunday story added that "tax problems have also followed Routh, who racked up 14 judgements and liens, according to LexisNexis."

Apparent assassination attempt against Trump

In reference to Sunday's apparent assassination attempt against Trump in West Palm Beach, the News & Record said Routh attached a GoPro camera to a fence through which he allegedly threaded the muzzle of his rifle prior to fleeing Trump International Golf Course. An AK-47 reportedly was recovered.

The paper, citing Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder, said the suspect was apprehended along Interstate 95 within minutes of the FBI, Secret Service, and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office putting out a “very urgent" be-on-the-lookout alert that detailed the "specific vehicle sought, license plate number, and description of the occupant, according to the Associated Press."

“One of my road patrol units saw the vehicle, matched the tag, and we set up on the vehicle,” Snyder said, according to the News & Record. “We pinched in on the car, got it safely stopped and got the driver in custody.”

The paper said Snyder added to WPTV-TV that the suspect "was not armed when we took him out of the car." The News & Record, citing Snyder, said the suspect displayed a calm, flat demeanor with little emotion and didn't question why he was being pulled over.

“He never asked, ‘what is this about?’ Obviously, law enforcement with long rifles, blue lights, a lot going on. He never questioned it,” Snyder told the AP, according to the News & Record.

Ukraine connection

The News & Record also cited a Facebook post dated Dec. 23, 2023, in which Routh "portrays himself as something of an agent for soldiers for hire who are willing to fight in Ukraine, touting his connection to foreign soldiers" and that he said he "fought for Ukraine for several months in 2022."

More from the paper:

'I have thousands of Afghan soldiers that wish to serve for the Haiti national police at cheap wages. 1000 with passports ready to fly.' Then a final plea: 'Please help me' after a phone number listing in the post.

Routh has not disclosed to authorities his motive for allegedly attempting to kill Trump.

The former president has publicly stated he would not support the war in Ukraine if elected in 2024.

The News & Record also pointed out that the New York Times interviewed Routh in 2023 for a story about "volunteer soldiers from the U.S. and other countries who had traveled to Ukraine to help the beleaguered country fight Russia."

More from the paper:

He told the Times he was 'seeking recruits from among Afghan solders who fled the Taliban' to fight alongside members of the International Legion, a volunteer group Ukraine created for expat soldiers.

Routh told the Times he was supporting the Legion in response to waning membership. He further told the Times that 'dozens' of soldiers had responded to his recruiting efforts and that he had plans to move such soldiers from Pakistan and Iran to Ukraine. Such moves could be illegal in some scenarios, Routh told the Times for the story published March 23, 2023.

The Times article highlighted the fact that through the International Legion, volunteers who didn't necessarily have any military training, had access to a vast array of weapons.

The Times on Sunday went on to note that Routh, who appears to have lived in Hawaii in recent years, in a 2020 Facebook post invited North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to vacation in Hawaii and allow him to play host so the pair could hash out a peace accord between North Korea and the U.S.

Anything else?

The News & Record said Routh lived most of his life in Guilford County, North Carolina, where Greensboro is located, and that he's registered to vote at the Hiatt Street address where federal authorities arrived Sunday night. The paper, citing records, added that Routh was an unaffiliated voter who most recently voted in the Democratic primary in March.

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