Suspected Trump Gunman Was Once Charged With Possession of a Weapon of Mass Destruction

Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspected gunman progressive successful an evident assassination effort connected erstwhile president Donald Trump astatine the Trump International Golf Club successful Florida connected Sunday, was charged with possession of a limb of wide demolition implicit 20 years ago.

“I figured helium was either dormant oregon successful situation by now,” Tracy Fulk, the charging serviceman successful the case, tells WIRED. “I had nary hint that helium had moved connected and was continuing his escapades.”

According to tribunal records from the Guilford District Court successful North Carolina obtained by WIRED, Routh was arrested by the Greensboro Police Department connected December 16, 2002.

Local reporting from Greensboro News and Record successful 2002 states that Routh was pulled implicit by constabulary during a postulation stop. Routh past drove to the concern United Roofing, wherever helium proceeded to barricade himself for 3 hours, the constabulary said astatine the time.

Fulk says helium was good known successful the area, and that constabulary would get alerts astir him allegedly related to, arsenic she remembers, weapons and explosives.

“One nighttime I recognized him successful his vehicle,” she says. “I knew helium didn’t person a driver’s license, truthful I stopped him close successful beforehand of his roofing shop, which was what utilized to beryllium connected Lee Street successful Greensboro. He stopped, and arsenic I approached his motortruck helium pulled a sack distant from the halfway of the seat, and I saw a gun. So of people I drew my weapon and started saying, ‘Hey! Show maine your hands, amusement maine your hands.’ And helium conscionable fundamentally pulled into his driveway and ran into his house. So we ended up having a [Special Response Team] callout and a large standoff for a mates of hours earlier they went successful and we arrested him.”

Routh was charged with possession of a afloat automatic instrumentality gun, referred to successful tribunal filings arsenic a limb of wide destruction. He was besides charged with carrying a concealed weapon, arsenic good arsenic driving without a valid licence and resisting, delaying, and obstructing instrumentality enforcement, according to Greensboro News and Record.

While the disposition of the lawsuit isn’t wholly clear, Routh did plead blameworthy to carrying a concealed gun.

Trump was not harmed connected Sunday portion playing golf. Law enforcement apprehended Routh aft a Secret Service cause spotted a firearm sticking retired of a perimeter obstruction connected the people and engaged with the threat, firing astatine slightest 4 rounds successful that direction. It’s unclear whether the gunman fired a shot. Law enforcement aboriginal recovered an AK-47 benignant firearm with a scope and a GoPro successful the bushes.