The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed Monday that they received a tip in 2019 about the man who allegedly intended on shooting former President Donald Trump.
The FBI revealed that they have investigated Ryan Wesley Routh, a 58-year-old convicted felon, in 2019 following a tip about his possession of a firearm, as announced during a press conference by special agent in charge Jeffrey Veltri of the Miami FBI field office. The tip surfaced while Routh was residing in Hawaii, but the allegations could not be substantiated after the complainant denied providing the initial information and the FBI subsequently relayed these findings to local law enforcement in Honolulu.
“I can also share with you that he was the subject of a previously closed 2019 tip to the FBI where it was alleged he was a felon in possession of a firearm,” Veltri said. “And following up on the tip, the alleged complainant was interviewed and did not verify, I repeat, did not verify providing the initial information.”
WATCH
Veltri provided information regarding Routh’s extensive criminal history, confirming that he has faced charges in the past.
“The United States Attorney mentioned, the subject was charged and convicted in North Carolina for possession of a weapon of mass destruction. Law enforcement checks also revealed that from 1997 to 2010, the subject had numerous felony charges for stolen goods,” the special agent said.
The U.S. Secret Service and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office announced Sunday that they were investigating reported gunfire near Trump. Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, confirmed on X (previously Twitter) Sunday afternoon that the former president was “safe following gunshots in his vicinity.”
Authorities released bodycam footage on Monday showing the arrest of Routh, who police took into custody on Sunday for allegedly attempting to assassinate Trump. After noticing that Routh was armed with a semi-automatic rifle within 500 yards of the location, Secret Service agents evacuated Trump from the venue.
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