Man arrested after finding an AK-47-style gun on the Trump golf course 

UNITED STATES: According to a court complaint, the suspect in the alleged assassination attempt on the former president of the United States may have been hiding close to the Republican presidential nominee’s West Palm Beach golf club for about twelve hours before a Secret Service agent discovered him.

According to several law enforcement sources who spoke with ABC News, Florida authorities had taken into custody Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, as a suspect in connection with the event. That afternoon, while Trump was enjoying a round of golf, a Secret Service special agent circling the grounds noticed what appeared to be a rifle sticking out of the trees.

Agents discovered a digital camera, two bags, including a backpack, and a loaded 7.62×39 caliber rifle with a scope in the vicinity of the forest line where the suspect was last seen, according per the complaint. The rifle’s serial number “was obliterated and unreadable to the naked eye,” according to the complaint.

Routh was told to appear in court for a pre-detention hearing on September 23 after failing to enter a plea to the allegations. The date of his arraignment is set for September 30. Routh wore a T-shirt when he walked into the courtroom. Speaking with federal public defender Kristy R. Militello, who has been assigned to represent him, he was observed grinning and nodding.

Trump was playing golf when the gunman was noticed

Sunday afternoon saw Trump’s Secret Service escorting him around the Trump International golf course when they opened fire on a man brandishing an AK-47-style gun. The incident on Sunday is being looked at by the FBI as a possible “assassination.” During a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw stated that the gunman was sighted 300 to 500 yards away from Trump.

He was shot four or six times by Secret Service personnel before dropping his gun and driving off. After witnesses gave authorities the license plate number, the suspect was apprehended and taken into custody. Investigators are still determining if the suspect fired his weapon, however sources claim that three shell casings connected to the suspect’s AK-47 were discovered at the scene. According to Bradshaw, the firearm and two bags holding ceramic tiles and a GoPro camera were found at the site.

Now, investigators are looking into Routh’s past. According to sources, the inmate may have connections to Hawaii and North Carolina. ABC News was informed by sources that the FBI is looking into Routh’s travels, social media use, and past criminal activities in great detail. Interviews with friends, relatives, and associates are also being sought.

Family of the suspect grilled

Multiple sources briefed on the inquiry told ABC News that the suspect’s family is telling authorities that although Routh had no confirmed mental disorder, he was “fixated” on items. One line of inquiry is whether Routh became obsessed with Trump because of the former president’s position on Ukraine. Routh seems to have documented his trip to Ukraine on social media and posted scathing remarks about Trump recently.

The sources claim that as Trump prepared to putt on the fifth hole, a Secret Service agent yelled, “gun!” Trump was swiftly surrounded by agents and led to a designated, guarded area on the property. These safe zones are frequently pre-designated by USSS. Authorities are investigating if Routh had complaints about Trump’s stance on Ukraine, according to people familiar with the probe.