The man detained in connection with Sunday’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump left an impression on one of his former neighbors, and it was not very good.
Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, had lived in Greensboro, North Carolina, for about 20 years before moving to Hawaii earlier this year, according to WGHP-TV.
A woman who formerly lived next door to Routh told the TV station, which did not use her name, that she was surprised at his arrest.
“Him, I mean, trying to shoot Trump. That’s a lot. I would have never guessed, and I would have swore up and down, no, that’s not him,” she said.
The unnamed neighbor added: “I just can’t believe it. I mean, if I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I mean the pictures and stuff and all, then I wouldn’t be able to believe that.”
She said Routh has always been fond of weapons.
“I’ve seen the guns myself and all, and, yeah, they had a lot of guns and stuff over there, and, yeah, a lot of people were afraid of him back in the day,” she explained.
NEW: Photo obtained by @dylanhubermantv from Martin County Sheriffs Office shows the moment Ryan Routh was arrested yesterday @CBS12 #Trump #AssassinationAttempt pic.twitter.com/zaIwrOSuBG
— Danielle Waugh DaRos (@DanielleCBS12) September 16, 2024
A report from NBC said that in 2002, Routh was convicted of owning a machine gun, which led to a conviction on a charge of possessing a weapon of mass destruction.
Convictions for carrying a concealed weapon, possession of stolen property and hit-and-run also appear on Routh’s record. All of those cases were disposed of with parole or probation.
All told, NBC reported, more than 100 criminal counts were filed against Routh over the years in North Carolina.
The neighbor told WGHP she last saw Routh in May when he left the state for Hawaii.
“He told me it was the last day he was here and he hugged me goodbye, and, yeah, he actually hugged me,” she said.
“I thought he was just living the life in Hawaii with the girlfriend and all, so for him to be assassinating the president, that’s just crazy,” she said.
Palm Beach County State’s Attorney Dave Aronberg said officials believe Routh was “lying in wait” for Trump and said it is believed that Routh aimed at the Secret Service agent who shot at him.
The New York Times noted that in 2023, it spoke with Routh in connection with Americans volunteering to fight in Ukraine. Routh claimed that he had visited Ukraine and wanted to recruit Afghan soldiers for the war.
The Times reported that during a 2023 interview, when discussing someone who denigrated Routh’s ideas for fortifying Ukrainian forces, Routh said “he needs to be shot.”
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.