Trump shooting suspect Ryan Wesley Routh was ‘harmless old man’ in Ukraine

An subordinate of the fishy successful the alleged assassination effort connected Donald Trump has said helium is ‘shocked’ astatine proceeding the news.

Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was detained aft an AK47-style firearm was spotted arsenic the statesmanlike campaigner played astatine Trump National Golf Club successful Florida.

Secret Service agents opened occurrence aft seeing a muzzle done fencing astir the venue successful West Palm Beach.

Routh, a Ukraine activistic and erstwhile operation idiosyncratic surviving successful Hawaii, has been identified arsenic the suspect. 

An subordinate of Routh’s, who met him a mates of times in Kyiv last year, told Metro.co.uk: ‘I was shocked to perceive the quality this morning.  

‘He was trying to make a mates of strategies successful Ukraine; 1 was Defence done supporting the International Legion and the different was attracting concern from different countries.

‘He seemed similar a harmless aged antheral and I would ne'er person thought that helium could beryllium accused of attempted murder.’  

Routh’s societal media channels amusement helium had been approaching celebrities, musicians, politicians and journalists successful trying to enactment Ukraine.  

Several pictures person emerged showing him attending rallies successful Kyiv successful enactment of the country’s fight against Russian subject aggression. 

In 2023, helium told the New York Times that helium had travelled to Ukraine aft the full-scale penetration to find subject recruits among Afghan soldiers who had escaped the Taliban.  

Routh has besides tried to physique bridges with North Korea, saying connected X that helium wanted to put a US circuit for ultimate person Kim Jong Un.   

He told 1 writer that ‘we tin physique a relationship betwixt Kim and the American radical and extremity each sanctions and hostilities.’

The International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine told the BBC that Routh has nary relation with the portion ‘in immoderate capacity’.  

The person, who did not privation to beryllium named, said: ‘He was trying to outcry astir concern successful Ukraine and I told him not to marque specified a large advertisement astir it, but I near it to him.  

‘He was trying to nexus radical from antithetic worlds, including politicians and astatine the US Embassy successful Ukraine, but this benignant of concern wasn’t astatine his level.  

‘As to his enactment successful Ukraine now, it is up to the courts to determine if helium is guiltless oregon blameworthy truthful if helium is blameworthy I presume it volition not continue.’   

A Secret Service cause who was a fewer holes up of Trump astatine astir 1.30pm section clip connected Sunday reportedly saw a firearm tube poking done a histrion enactment connected the course, which had been unopen down portion the tycoon played.

The cause is said to person instantly ‘engaged’ the gunman.

After shots were heard, the fishy fled successful an SUV earlier being arrested by constabulary successful Martin County, astir 45 miles northbound of the play course. 

It’s not wide whether the gunman fired the weapon.

Trump and play spouse Steve Witkoff reportedly told Fox News that they had been connected the 5th spread erstwhile they heard a ‘pop, pop, pop, pop’ sound. 

Speaking to big Sean Hannity, a person of Trump’s, Witkoff said that Secret Service agents ‘pounced’ connected the Republic statesmanlike nominee and ‘covered him’ to support him earlier a ‘fast car’ with alloy enforcement and different extortion took him away.

‘They heard pop, pop, pop, pop,’ Hannity said, describing what Trump and Witkoff had told him.  

The FBI recovered an AK-47-style firearm and a scope, 2 backpacks and a GoPro camera from a bush.

The bureau said the incidental ‘appears to beryllium an attempted assassination of erstwhile President Trump.’   

The FBI, US Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the incident.

Trump said helium was ‘safe and well’ and ‘nothing volition dilatory maine down’. 

The incidental comes 2 months aft Trump was changeable astatine a rally successful Pennsylvania and near with an receptor injury.

MORE : Everything we cognize astir ‘gunman’ Ryan Wesley Routh who targeted Donald Trump with AK-47

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