FORT PIERCE, FL – Jury selection has begun in the criminal trial of a man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his Florida golf club during his reelection campaign nearly a year ago.
More: Trump assassination attempt trial starts Monday. Suspect Ryan Routh wants golf showdown
Ryan Routh, 59, faces charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several weapons violations. He has pleaded not guilty.
Federal prosecutors say a Secret Service agent canvassing the sixth hole of Trump International Golf Club on Sept. 15, 2024, spotted the barrel of a rifle through a chain-link fence. The agent drew his weapon and fired several times, prompting the gunman to drop his own weapon and run. Local sheriff's deputies arrested Routh shortly thereafter.
The incident occurred just months after a bullet grazed Trump's ear in another attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania. Inside Routh's car, deputies found two license plates, six cellphones, a passport and a handwritten list of venues where Trump was scheduled to appear.
