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4 Oct 2025 1:48
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  •   Home > News > International

    Ryan Routh faces life in prison after guilty verdict in Donald Trump assassination attempt

    A man accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump at his Florida golf course last year has been found guilty on all charges.


    US President Donald Trump says "justice was served", after the man accused of trying to assassinate him at a Florida golf course in September last year was found guilty of all federal charges.

    Ryan Routh, 59, was convicted on all five counts, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and firearms charges.

    "I'm very appreciative of the justice that was given and the way it was handled … ," Mr Trump said in New York.

    "And it's very important, you can't let things like that happen …

    "And so justice was served."

    Routh tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen shortly after being found guilty on all charges.

    Officers quickly swarmed him and dragged him out of the courthouse.

    The Florida jury of five men and seven women found Routh guilty on all counts that he was facing after two hours of deliberation.

    After the jurors were on their way out of the courtroom, Routh tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen.

    Marshals swarmed him, picked him up and dragged him out of the courthouse.

    His daughter Sara Routh was screaming, "Dad I love you, don't do anything. I'll get you out. He didn't hurt anybody."

    She continued screaming inside the courtroom as her father was dragged out.

    A few minutes after Routh was dragged from the courtroom, he was brought back inside, no longer wearing a jacket and tie, and was shackled.

    There were no signs of blood on his shirt.

    The judge announced that Routh will be sentenced on December 18 at 9:30am.

    Routh was found guilty of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

    He pleaded not guilty to the charges and defended himself in court.

    Prosecutors said Routh spent weeks plotting to kill Mr Trump before aiming a rifle through shrubbery as the Republican played golf on September 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.

    Routh told jurors in his closing argument that he didn't intend to kill anyone that day.

    "It's hard for me to believe that a crime occurred if the trigger was never pulled," Routh said.

    He said that he could see Mr Trump as he was on the path toward the sixth hole green at the golf course, and noted that he also could have shot a Secret Service agent who confronted him if he had intended to harm anyone.

    Routh exercised his constitutional right not to testify in his own defence.

    He rested his case after questioning just three witnesses — a firearms expert and two characters witnesses — for a total of about three hours.

    In contrast, prosecutors spent seven days questioning 38 witnesses.

    Recounting what happened at the golf course, a Secret Service agent testified that he spotted Routh before Mr Trump came into view.

    Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot, the agent said.

    Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who testified that he saw a person fleeing the area after hearing gunshots.

    The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witness said he confirmed it was the person he had seen.

    As well as the federal charges, Routh also pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.

    AP

    © 2025 ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved

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