Latest would-be presidential assassin violated multiple gun-control laws By: Lee Williams

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Assassin stopped by good guy with a gun.

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Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was initially charged with possessing a firearm by a convicted felon and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Prosecutors have empaneled a grand jury to pursue additional, more serious charges.

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Most of Routh’s criminal history took place in North Carolina, but he was likely known to law enforcement officials in Hawaii, too.

A Hawaiian man told CNN Monday Routh threatened him in an email following a business dispute by claiming he’d fought Russians in Ukraine.

“I kind of decided maybe I should just let it go for the sake of my family,” the businessman said.

Routh’s social media posts, most of which have been scrubbed, indicated he may suffer from some type of mental illness.

Routh visited Ukraine in 2022, and later tried to recruit veterans to fight against the Russian invaders, even going so far as to claim he was a secret agent for the Ukrainian government. Ukrainian Army spokesman, Oleksandr Shaguri, told CNN Monday that Routh claims were “delusional ideas.”    

Recruiting foreign fighters on American soil should have brought Routh to the attention of the State Department, if not the FBI, which as of Monday, has not issued any statements about Routh, his foreign recruitment attempts or his interaction with federal law enforcement.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said in an emailed statement that the Justice Department “will work tirelessly to ensure accountability” and will “bring every available resource to bear in this investigation.”

Good guy with a gun

To be clear, Routh illegally possessed a firearm with an obliterated serial number, which he never should have been able to purchase or possess. However, he was able to obtain the weapon, conduct surveillance and establish a sniper’s hide with ballistic protection — he had several bags containing ceramic tile — within 300-500 yards of his target, President Trump.

Routh wasn’t stopped by federal gun-control laws. His murderous plans were only thwarted because he poked the rifle’s muzzle through a chain link fence, which was spotted by a federal agent who quickly fired several rounds. Routh was not hit, but he dropped his weapon and fled.

Like the July 13 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, this latest assassination attempt raises a multitude of questions, which the Secret Service or FBI may never answer.  

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has had enough.

DeSantis announced on social media Monday that “The State of Florida will be conducting its own investigation regarding the attempted assassination at Trump International Golf Club.”

“The people deserve the truth about the would-be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee,” DeSantis said on X.

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