‘Profile of an assassin: loving dad who helped war victims

The man alleged to have hunted Donald Trump was reportedly known to police, a fierce advocate for Ukraine, and politically scattered since the 2016 election.

Ryan Routh, 58, of Hawaii is the suspect in the latest assassination attempt against former president Donald Trump.

The gunman who tried to assassinate Donald Trump at a Florida golf course is a “loving and caring ­father” who had previously ­travelled to Ukraine to provide ­humanitarian assistance.

While a motive has yet to be ­established, Ryan Wesley Routh’s social media accounts and his ­humanitarian work in Kyiv paint a picture of a political obsessive but non-partisan small business owner from Hawaii.

His son, Oran Routh, who said he had grown apart from his 58-year-old father, was reported as saying: “My dad went over there [to Ukraine] and saw people f..king fighting and dying.”

Describing him as a “loving and caring father and honest, hardworking man”, Oran Routh told CNN: “I don’t know what’s happened in Florida and I hope things have just been blown out of proportion, because from the little I’ve heard it doesn’t sound like the man I know to do anything crazy, much less violent. He’s a good father and a great man.”

Routh was known to police, having faced charges more than 20 years ago for carrying concealed arms, attempting a hit and run and “possessing a weapon of mass destruction”, reported to be an automatic machine gun.

The crimes were recorded by the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction and occurred in 2001 to 2002. The “weapon of mass destruction” charge followed a three-hour police standoff. It is not known if he served prison time.

More recently, he appeared on social media dressed in army ­fatigues and an American flag shirt, his hair dyed white and blue.

Routh’s LinkedIn account records an education with the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, from which he graduated in 1998.

By 2018 had moved to Hawaii, where he runs a construction company, Camp Box Honolulu.

“I currently build very simple housing structures for the less fortunate and pursue a wide range of other creative projects towards ­developing unique products and devices, as well as community ­improvement projects,” his social media profile reads.

“Work has never been about money, rather building frameworks for people to thrive and ­succeed.”

Describing himself as “mechanically minded”, the alleged shooter had a history of inter­national advocacy which ­culminated with his work in Kyiv.

“I am willing to go and die for democracy and the kids of Ukraine,” he wrote on X in ­February 2022 shortly after Russia’s invasion .

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw holding a photograph of the sniper nest Routh is alleged to have made from himself on the outskirts of the Trump International Golf Club. Picture: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP

His ideology seemingly varied between Democratic and Republican values. In 2024, he endorsed former Republican candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley, but claimed online he had supported Mr Trump in 2016.

On the North Carolina voting records, he is listed as an active voter with no party affiliation, but in March this year he cast his ballot in the Democratic primary for US President Joe Biden to be the party’s 2024 candidate.

While critical of Mr Biden during his campaign, he praised Vice-President Kamala Harris following the announcement of her bid for the presidency.

He is reported by the Federal Election Commission to have contributed $US140 to Democratic causes since 2019 through the fundraising group ActBlue.

Active on social media, he had previously stated he would be “glad” when Mr Trump was “gone”. “(Trump wants to) make Americans slaves,” Routh said in posts on Twitter/X during the current election campaign.

“DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose … the world is counting on us to show the way.”

“I and the world hoped that President Trump would be different and better than the candidate (sic), but we all were greatly disappointment (sic) and it seems you are getting worse and devolving; are you r*******; I will be glad when you (sic) gone.”

On Sunday, local time, Routh is alleged to got within 400m of the former president, who was unknowingly walking towards him between the fifth and sixth hole of the West Palm Beach golf course.

Hidden behind bushes and the clubhouse’s outer fence, he carried his rifle, two backpacks and a GoPro, indicating an intention to film the assassination.

It was not known on Monday night if the GoPro, which was seized by authorities, had any footage from the alleged crime.

Secret Service agents travelling in advance of Trump fired on Routh after spotting his makeshift sniper’s nest. It is not known if he returned fire.

Routh fled the scene before driving away in a black Nissan, which a witness photographed, ­allowing police to capture Routh on Interstate 95 shortly after.

He is now in custody of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s ­Department.

“He was not displaying a lot of emotions. Never asked what this is about. He was not armed when we took him out of the car,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said.

“With a rifle and scope, that is not a long distance.”

Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong called the alleged attempted assassination “another dreadful demonstration of the potential of political ­violence”.