Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, the suspect who was arrested for his alleged assassination attempt of presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday afternoon, is from Greensboro; and, according to sources who used to work for the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, Routh has been considered a dangerous threat to the public and to law enforcement officers for over two decades.
Yet, on Sunday, Sept. 15, he was a free man in Florida with an assault rifle who got close enough to Trump to potentially shoot him while hiding behind some bushes on one of Trump’s Florida golf courses.
One former Guilford County Sheriff’s Office deputy said that he and other deputies on the force – as well as officers with the Greensboro Police Department – had engaged in constant encounters with Routh for more than two decades and that Routh was arrested frequently.
“He was a regular,” the former deputy said, asking not to be identified by name. “We all knew him. I dealt with him many times and so did my fellow officers.”
The source said that, when deputies or police officers answered a call where Routh was known to be, or had to serve him with a warrant, they were advised that he had major mental issues and he was to be considered dangerous.
While Routh’s run-ins with the law date back to the late 1990s, the most high-profile incident took place in Greensboro just over two decades ago.
A December 16, 2002 story in the Greensboro News and Record stated, “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. Routh was pulled over about 10 p.m. Sunday during a traffic stop. But he put his hand on a firearm and drove to United Roofing, where he remained barricaded inside.”
At that time, after his arrest, he was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, and, more alarmingly, possession of “a weapon of mass destruction” – a fully automatic machine gun that Routh had somehow acquired.
As a result of that incident, he was also charged with counts of resisting arrest, delaying and obstructing a law enforcement officer and driving without a valid license.
Immediately after the alleged attempt on the former president’s life this weekend, Facebook pulled down Routh’s Facebook page; however, in a screenshot taken of his page before it was removed, his profile states that he attended Grimsley High School and Northwest Guilford High School and adds that he studied at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro as well – though the Rhino Times hasn’t yet verified the validity of the biographical information he posted on his Facebook page.
Routh was a construction worker who, for years, lived at 2106 Hiatt Street in Greensboro. That’s in the College Hill area of the city off of Spring Garden Street, between that street and the railroad tracks behind it.
He moved to Hawaii several years ago, and then, in 2022, traveled to Ukraine to help that country recruit fighters in Ukraine’s war with Russia.
About 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept.15, as Trump played a round of golf at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida – and as the former president was moving between holes five and six – a secret service agent spotted the barrel of a gun pointed at the president and the agent fired on the alleged would-be shooter who was apparently attempting to take Trump’s life.
Trump wasn’t hurt and his running mate J.D. Vance said later in the day on Sunday that Trump was in “good spirits” after what was the second attempt to assassinate Trump in a two-month period.
The former Guilford County deputy who’s had many run-ins with Routh over the years said, it was no surprise to him.
“He had a long history of criminal and mental issues in Guilford County,” he said, adding that, over the years, it was simply one incident after another continuously, sometimes leading to arrest, sometimes not.
The former deputy also noted that Routh appeared to have “aged dramatically” since he left Greensboro.
The source described Routh as a ”100 percent mental case” and also as a “nutcase.”
“There are lots of emails in the Greensboro and Guilford County [law enforcement] system about him,” the former deputy stated.
According to a LexisNexis search conducted by the News and Record, since 1998, Routh has been arrested roughly 100 times.
(A report on CNN Sunday night stated that Routh had been arrested eight times; however, CNN didn’t mention how far back their research had gone.)
The former Guilford County Sheriff’s Department deputy said, “This is an example of how the system has gone wrong. It’s an example of a failure of the Guilford County court system – they should not have let him out. He is a mental case.”
The former deputy also said that, due to Routh’s history of weapons possession and resisting arrest, along with the dangerous behavior observed by sheriff’s deputies and an obvious abundance of mental issues, Routh shouldn’t have been walking the streets.
This is somewhat parallel to a case in Whitsett that occurred last week. An alleged robber of a Brinks armored vehicle was shot and killed in the Stoney Creek Village parking lot. Some local residents were outraged to learn that the deceased suspect was out of jail on bail awaiting trial – for, of all things, planning a robbery of an armored vehicle.
In a Sunday afternoon news conference, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said that Secret Service agents “immediately engaged” the man with the rifle.
The agent who spotted the rifle, Bradshaw said, is part of a security team that stays a hole or two ahead of Trump on the golf course.
According to multiple news reports, the man who allegedly attempted to assassinate Trump was 300 to 500 yards away from the former president at the time.
When the agent fired on the man, allegedly Routh, the man ran.
Routh was then photographed coming out of the bushes and getting into a Black Nissan.
An AK-47-style rifle was found at the scene along with a GoPro camera and two backpacks containing ceramic tile. Routh, who’s been very active on social media, appears to have been attempting to capture the assassination on video or possibly even livestream it.
When the suspect fled the scene in a car, he was spotted by a witness who took a picture of the Nissan’s license plate, which ultimately helped law enforcement find the car. The license plate set off a notification in a traffic video monitoring system, which alerted police that the vehicle was heading north on I-95 in Martin County, one county to the north of Palm Beach.
Some speculate Routh may have been attempting to return to Greensboro, however he was apprehended.
After news of the shooting broke, a neighbor in Greensboro who’s known Routh for about 20 years, told Fox 8 News that Routh was a very nice man.
She said he had moved to Hawaii and that she had hugged him before he left.
She also said that she had seen guns in Routh’s house several times.
“I knew he was a little cuckoo, but I never would have thought he would try to assassinate the president,” she said.
In 2002, there was no war between Ukraine and Russia. The Orange Revolution did not start until 2004, and the actual conflict began in 2014.
Good catch. I’d bet that Scott fat-fingered that one, and meant to type “2020” rather than “2002.”
He meant to write 2022. It was clearly a typo. Way to miss the point of the article!! You don’t ask how a semi-employed “construction worker” with a long criminal history had the ability to live in Hawaii, return here to vote, and go to Ukraine to recruit there. No questions either about why he posted his Hawaii number online constantly nor if this is the type person the alphabet agencies use for their more insane undertakings. Nothing about who funded him or why he wasn’t in jail. Nope, just a comment about a typo.
Read carefully! 2022, not 2002.
Hey Chris….do you know this guy?
Just another “Goot Boy” gone bad! How many other Ryan Stanley Routh’s are currently roaming the streets of Greensboro and Guilford County? Sounds like all the Guilford County Law Enforcement Agencies did their jobs, did our Local District Attorneys and Mental Health Agencies, which we pay taxes for do theirs? Just wondering if once his Facebook Posts are reviewed, will we also discover the FBI failed to do their job as well?
I’m puzzled that this man went untracked by local and federal authorities for years, indicating a systemic failure.
But Tulsi Gabbard is on the terrorist no fly list.
Just another Democrat who contributed to ActBlue nineteen times, and called Trump “retarded” in a 2020 tweet.
It’s not just the actions of Democrats that display their hatred, it’s their speech too. Have you ever before seen ANY President and Presidential candidate who has been so vilified and smeared as Trump?
The Leftists are the real haters. Mentally ill, too.
There it is. More hateful garbage from the party of hate and disappointment. This guy is just another crazy with a gun. Austin wants you to think he represents the democratic party because Austin wants a divided America. Saying this crazy with a gun represents all democrats is like saying Timothy McVey represents all Repbulicans and therefore all Republicans are terrorists. Or the guys who tried to kidnap a governor represent all Republicans and are therefore all Republicans are terrorist. I could go on and on about all the people who spread violence in the name of the conservative movement. But I won’t because that would be as foolish and hateful as Austin claiming this guy represents Democrats.
You are asking the wrong question. Have you ever seen a President use his position to vilify so many…including people in his own party.
But you be you.
Wow.
So many false assertions in so few words. You should get a medal for that, Chrissy.
And even someone as divorced from reality as you must admit that the “hate” and vitriol directed at Donald Trump is unprecedented.
Right?
I was a GPD officer for 26 years. Routh lived and worked in my beat. I personally arrested him over 100 times from traffic to criminal violations.
You didn’t personally arrest him 100 times he wasn’t arrested everytime and other officers arrested him also I live here now and seen the others on the local news.
umm yes I have, and so have many others. you live here now that’s great good for you. I knew him and dealt with him almost daily
How about staying off TV. You would not want other knowledge about you getting out.
As usual you insert yourself into something. Most officers working during that time had contact with Routh. Fame whores.
Thank you for your service. This guy sounds like a whack job.
Dang Eric that’s an average of once every three months. How can someone be arrested so often and still be traveling the world. Get out of jail free cards?
Just another College Hill liberal .
LOL!
Im not sure why the former deputy did not want to reveal his name because almost everyone in GPD and the Sheriff’s department knew of him in one way or another. He lived and worked in my beat. I have dealt with him in my career for almost 15 years until he moved away somewhere when his business finally was taken away. I have arrested him over 100 times from traffic violations to criminal charges, most of which the news displayed. He hired illegals and let them drive, crash and work under the table with his work trucks. He was not a good crook and that’s why he kept getting caught. He never tried hiding under the radar and even with all of his unfounded complaints to internal affairs, he kept on with his antics. Routh and I have lost no love for one another and he never lost an opportunity to say something to me in public. I would never say that he was crazy unless he was actually on drugs. Because he felt entitled to doing what he wanted to do and how he felt like doing it, being caught so many times made him feel America was against him.
Aren’t you a narcissistic person! You have not changed. I read your article on the local fox affiliate. You portray yourself as this hero but you don’t mention how much trouble you got yourself in. Don’t act like you did all this work by yourself.
Amen brother. Eric stop the fame whoring. Everyone is laughing at you and Tracy at GPD.
Hero cop. Bring the receipts of your over 100 arrests of this one guy.
I watched your interviews and after reading your comments, I can only conclude that you are everything they have always said about you. I don’t know you personally, but I know cops and from what I have heard, “Stolen Valor” is the term that comes to mind. Oh, I have no doubt that you did serve in the Navy, but you present it as though you flew the fighter jets, when I am willing to bet that you only gassed them up. Don’t get me wrong, being on the logistical/support side of the military is an essential and noble thing, but to present yourself as being on the front lines when you weren’t is shameful. If you are proud of being on the logistical side of the military, and you should be, then say that when someone asks you your military role. Don’t just throw it out there that you were “assigned to the fighter group”. That is disingenuous.
Similarly, you did not earn 7 officer of the year awards from GPD. I can only assume that only one officer in the agency can win “officer of the year” each year. I find it highly suspicious that they would award that to the same person over and over. I might have to call up there and ask how many of the GPD officer of the year awards you actually won. Should be public record. I have no doubt that you earned several “officer of the year awards”, but I am willing to be that they were from other groups, like the “Wal-Mart Supports Our First Responders Award” or something. No shame in that, but tell people the real story, don’t hide yourself in ambiguity. If you do good work, others should recognize it for you. If you have to put yourself in to win something by default because you are the only applicant, then have you really earned it?
As to your 100 arrests nonsense. Is that something to boast about? All you are saying is that you failed to get a dude off the street, failed to get him convicted of a felony (he still votes), failed to build a significant case against him that the feds could take over, and so on. Seems to me like you are saying the guy got the better of you over 100 times. Not something to be proud of and touting to the media.
You are the guy that Austin Morris complains about, a badge heavy wanna-be cop that puts himself before the badge and the honor it is supposed to carry. If you focused more on the issue than making yourself look good, maybe Routh would have actually been put away. Instead, you empowered him to think he could outplay the system.
If I am way off base in all of this, I apologize, but you just seem full of it and full of yourself. My goodness, show a little humility.
Impossible for someone wanting to assassinate MY President, Donald J Trump to be in THAT position at THAT exact time WITHOUT the information where the savior of our Nation would be.
Another nut with a gun. Can’t wait for all the conservative nutters trying to make this an US versus Them argument about politics when the real question should be how was he able to purchase a gun with his past history?
If he was in a mental institution where he belonged, he would not have been able to keep on creating mayhem and committing crimes.
Having had a fully automatic firearm, a federal offence with a penalty of ten years in a federal prison, many of his subsequent crimes would not have occurred. In many cases violation of serious firearm felonies are pled down to misdemeanors and not adequately prosecuted. More laws that are not prosecuted will not help; the weapon he currently had is alledged to have its serial number “obliterated”. With modern forensic technology, even a ground off serial number can be raised, but even if the number is recovered and the gun is traced to a seller, the likelihood of any violation being prosecuted is slim.
Since the 70’s, when bleeding heart liberals lobbied to have mental institutions closed so the inmates could “determine their own destinies and fulfill their own potential” the problems of homelessness, rampant drug abuse and violence perpetrated by the mentally ill has burgeoned to very serious levels. To paraphrase a phrase, “Make Mental Hospitals Great Again”
It was not a legal gun purchase. He was the quintessential demoncrat in possession of a weapon with the serial # filed off, meaning it was stolen.
Deflection is not your strong point, but then what is?
Odd that he voted for Trump in 2016 and supported Niki per his Twitter feed yet contributed to democratic causes etc…. Let’s just call him a nut with a gun and stop using this sad event as a stupid way to vilify any political party. That is just silly.
It’s called an illegal private transaction (aka black market) genius. Add to it the serial number was filed off.
You don’t have to purchase a gun to get your hands on one.. or do it legally.. anyone can get a gun here from another person.know the laws.
And you don’t see this as a problem? The investigation into how and who provided the gun needs to be a priority and prosecute THAT person even more aggressively than the nut with a gun.
I almost agree with you Chris. The gun should be traced (all seized guns are) and people held responsible. It is no secret Routh is a nut job.
Criminals will always be able to acquire a gun.
They should have found a better patsy.
Nice coverage Scott….it will be in GNR next week.
I am reminded of the PizzaGate gunman. Also from North Carolina.
Brilliant deduction. What gave it away? His hiding in a hedge with the gun, then leaving it behind, or the fact he shot at a former president and current candidate and thought he could get away with it?
His son’s a real piece of work, too.
Records do not show Routh he lived there “for years.” The home was owned in the name of a relative, sold 3/13/24 to an unrelated party, and records indicate he was living in and spent most of his time since 2018 in Hawaii. The number he posted all over social media was Hawaii. He was in Ukraine for much of 2022. How was he able to vote in Guilford County when he’s registered in Hawaii, and lived in Ukraine and Hawaii? Why is he STILL registered at an address his family fold in March. How does he have the money to travel the world when he’s a partially employed, at best, with a lengthy criminal history and zero evidence of wealth.
Consider a mentally ill party given money and other resources, a weapon and transportation to a location where Trump was making an Off The Record trip to his golf course. The Secret Service agent failed to kill him and ultimately end the case, but the man escaped and was apprehended by local LEOs. I would fear that once he is in FBI custody that he will commit “suicide” and the episode will be memory holed before the election, and the media will continue to blame Trump for the attempt on his life. This assassination attempt didn’t go as planned either.
Hey! What’s a regular citizen doing investigation into this demoncrat voter? Puppet parrot press is the arbiter of everything we are supposed to see. According to local TV stations the guy was nice, gave hugs and no way would he do this…..
Please ignore this speculation of nefarious desires. He happened to be in Florida on vacation and got lost…….
And according to WGHP FOX8 he was ” a believer in COVID conspiracy theories and an Unaffiliated voter”.
That’s the best they could do in their attempt to make the viewers believe he was a Republican.
Interestingly, they quickly dropped the COVID conspiracy claim from subsequent broadcasts. Perhaps they just made that up, and decided they didn’t want to get caught in an outright lie…
Don’t forget he voted for Trump in 2016 per his Twitter account.
But end of the day, he was just another nut with a gun. Way to go America!
You can go on Reddit where several people copied down his Twitter feed before it was removed. A fun read. He was mostly ranting about Ukraine towards the end and that was likely what tipped him over the line from crazy to insane.
According to the AP Routh moved Hawaii in 2018
As per the NC Board of Elections Voter Search, Ryan Wesley Routh of 2106 Hiatt St Greensboro NC
is still active on the Guildford County voter roll and voted on 03/05/2024 Primary In Person ????
We don’t need no stinking voting laws!!
According to AP, Routh moved to Hawaii in 2018.
As per the NC Board of Elections Voter Search, Ryan Wesley Routh of 2106 Hiatt St
Greensboro NC is still active on the Guildford County voter roll and voted in
the 03/05/2024 Primary In- Person ?????
We don’t need no stinking voting laws!!
Does the record show if he voted in the 2020 and 2022 elections ? Do the records show if he cameback to NC to vote in the 2020 and 2022 elections? Enquiring minds would like to know !
Routh is the perfect example of someone who can be radicalized. He is crazy and malleable. The Secret Service needs to get their act together or give Trump the money to hire private security. But like all incompetent government agencies they will keep going.
As the ad says ” Some folks need killing.” Look up this man’s past history. He may have mental issues, but he is evil.
“100 per cent mental case”
In other words the typical Democrat.
List of conservative terrorists in recent US history:
Aryan Nations member Buford O. Furrow opened fire on a Jewish community center,
Anthrax attack against US Senators
Pulse Nightclub Shooter
Charlotteville Car run into crowd of protestors
Attack on Nancy Pelosi’s Husband
Plot to kidnap of Democratic Gretchen Whitmer, the Governor of Michigan,
Charleston Church Shooting
Kroger Shooting in Black neighborhood in Kentucky
etc..
etc…
etc..
etc..
Crazy doesn’t care about politics. Making argument that this is ‘Typical Democrat’ is disingenuous, hateful and ignorant.
But you be you.
Chris, how many leftwing websites did you spend your time viewing before compiling your list? Let’s debunk a few items on your list. Attack on Pelosi’s husband was not perpetrated by a so-called right-winger. Plot to kidnap Whitmer was an FBI plot. The shooting at a Kroger in Kentucky was done by a man who obviously hated people with black skin. Nowhere was he described politically as conservative. You simply made this up. The Pulse Nightclub (described as a gay bar) Shooter’s name was Omar Mateen. Not exactly a name that would be expected of a conservative, because he wasn’t. I could continue, but you get my point. Chris, your comments are at best slanted. Please try to be fair and accurate.
Bruce Edwards Ivins was a registered Democrat
Omar Mateen was a registered Democrat
David DePape is a Canadian
Several people were acquited in the “plot” to kidnap Whitmer due to FBI entrapment.
You name some white supremacists that did awful things, but conveniently leave out alt-left groups who have also done awful things.
I agree with your conclusion that violent extremism exists on both sides, but your argument that these are all Republicans isn’t valid.
Hilarious.
An AK is not a good long range rifle even with a scope.
He still should not have been able to get within 1000 yards with any rifle (the bigger problem).
A drone with heat detecting equipment should have been onsite .
Many questions to be answered for a 2nd close call.
Unless Trump gets elected we will never find out the truth about either attempt.
Yes, Mr. Routh was the person arrested in FL. He has his own part on this & he should definitely be charged & dealt with. It us abundantly clear to me that the real criminals here are the magistrates & judges who keep letting him roam our streets. When are we going to insist that the thugs in wigs & robes do their part to keep citizens safe & predators locked away?
JS
I just listened to Eric Trump on a podcast. He manages the golf properties. He said where the gun was set up would have given the suspect a 50 yard shot once the golfers were on the green.
The left is going to use this story to promote red flag laws. But mental cases have a 2nd amendment right to assault weapons to protect themselves from even worse mental cases.
Is this sarcasim?
I want to know the purpose of, “two backpacks containing ceramic tile”? There has to be a story…….