Ryan Routh found guilty of Donald Trump assassination attempt at golf course

A man who tried to assassinate Donald Trump during his 2024 presidential campaign has been found guilty on all counts - and attempted to stab himself in the neck with a pen after the verdict.

Ryan Routh, 59, made 17 trips to scope out Trump's West Palm Beach golf course ahead of the attempted killing, prosecutors say. He was charged with five criminal counts, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and assaulting a Secret Service agent - following an incident on September 15 last year when he hid in the bushes with a rifle as Trump's golfing party approached.

After a brief deliberation, jurors returned a verdict of guilty on all charges, with Routh now facing life behind bars. Prosecutors outlined the extensive planning carried out by Routh before the assassination plot, including his purchase of a military-grade weapon, his research on Trump's movements and the use of a dozen burner phones.

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The attempt on Trump's life on September 15, 2024, came just nine weeks after he was shot in the ear at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, by 20-year-old Thomas Crooks. Eight shots were fired at Trump, with just one bullet grazing his ear. Crooks was killed by Secret Service counter-snipers, officials said.

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