Who tried to shoot Donald Trump? All about suspect Ryan Routh, who had strong anti-Russia views due to Ukraine war

Donald Trump survived a second assassination attempt in Florida on Sunday. The US Secret Service agents spotted and fired at a gunman pointing an AK-style rifle with a scope, law enforcement officials told the Associated Press. Donald Trump's second assassination suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, who fled the scene, has been arrested by the officials, and the attack is under investigation, reported AP, citing officials.

Who is Ryan Routh?

The fifty-eight-year-old Ryan Routh is the main suspect in the apparent assassination attempt of Donald Trump. Routh has been living in Hawaii, reported Bloomberg citing a CNN report.

The US Secret Service fired at Ryan Routh after he was spotted hiding behind bushes near Donald Trump's golf course in Florida. The police took him into custody after he fled from the crime spot in his black Nissan car. He had left his AK-47-style rifle and a GoPro camera at the crime spot near the property line of the golf course, a few hundred yards from where Trump was playing. So far, there has been no official confirmation about who was the suspect in Donald Trump's second assassination bid.

Routh was taken into custody by police on Sunday after what the FBI has called a possible assassination attempt targeting Trump.

Ryan Routh was a habitual offender

Ryan Routh was born in 1966 and has been arrested eight times in past. He also has record for minor offences and also worked as a construction worker in North Carolina, Bloomberg reported citing CNN.

Routh was convicted in 2002 of possessing a weapon of mass destruction, reported Bloomberg, referring to North Carolina Department of Adult Correction online records.

Ryan harboured anti-Russia sentiment?

Several media reports shed light upon Donald Trump's suspected shooter Ryan Routh's anti-Russia sentiment. A social media account on X, which is assumed to be of Routh, was suspended after the attack. The social media account had multiple posts condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including messages calling for foreign soldiers to defend Ukraine, as per the Bloomberg report.