Florida launches criminal investigation into alleged Trump assassination attempt

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Florida state law enforcement will launch its own criminal investigation into the alleged assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, parallel to the federal investigation, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday.

The governor said Florida prosecutors would seek the most serious charges possible under state law, including attempted murder, in the statewide investigation into Ryan Wesley Routh, who was indicted on Monday on gun violations.

“We have a very strong interest in bringing this suspect to justice,” DeSantis told reporters.

It is common for state and federal law enforcement agencies to conduct criminal investigations simultaneously because states may be able to bring charges that are not possible at the federal level, and vice versa.

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Routh has only been charged with gun crimes at the federal level, but more charges are possible as Justice Department prosecutors seek a grand jury indictment. Prosecutors often file the first charges they see quickly and add more serious charges as the investigation progresses.

“We will spare no resources in this investigation,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said Tuesday during an event at the Justice Department.

Markenzy Lapointe, the top federal prosecutor for the Southern District of Florida, declined to comment on the state's investigation.

DeSantis said the case will be handled by the Florida State Attorney General's Office, led by Attorney General Ashley Moody.

The FBI has interviewed family members, friends and co-workers of the suspect and is working to gather evidence. Authorities have applied for search warrants to gain access to a video recording device, cell phones, a vehicle and electronic devices at Routh's previous addresses.

On Tuesday, FBI agents were spotted at Routh's home in Kaaawa, Hawaii. Sarah Rice, spokeswoman for the FBI's Honolulu office, said they were conducting “court-authorized law enforcement actions.” She said the court documents authorizing the actions are sealed.

A motive was not disclosed, and Routh exercised his right to an attorney during questioning, officials said.

The latest assassination attempt came just weeks after the July 13 shooting at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, where Trump was grazed by a gunman's bullet, and heightened fears that violence will continue to shape American presidential politics.

Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump's Democratic opponent in November, spoke to him on Tuesday to express her gratitude that he is safe, the White House said.

Routh, 58, was arrested Sunday after authorities spotted a gun sticking out of bushes on the golf course where Trump was playing. Routh camped outside the golf course with food and a rifle for nearly 12 hours, ambushing the former president until a Secret Service agent thwarted the would-be attack and opened fire.

Routh did not fire any shots, never saw Trump in sight and sped away. He left behind a digital camera, a backpack, a loaded SKS rifle with a scope and a plastic bag of groceries, officials said. He was arrested in a neighboring county.

Routh's attorney declined to comment after he made a brief appearance in federal court Monday. A judge ordered him to remain incarcerated because prosecutors argued he was a flight risk. Routh was transferred from the Palm Beach County Jail to the federal prison in Miami. A federal judge has scheduled further hearings for later this month.

The federal case charges Routh with illegal possession of a firearm, despite having multiple prior felony convictions, including two counts of possession of stolen goods in North Carolina in 2002. The other count is that the gun's serial number was obscured and made unreadable to the naked eye, a violation of federal law.

Federal investigators are currently examining Routh's extensive online presence, which suggests that his political views were constantly evolving – including, more recently, an apparent disdain for Trump – and that he was extremely outraged by global events involving China and, in particular, Ukraine.

“You are free to assassinate Trump,” Routh wrote of Iran in a book apparently self-published in 2023 titled “Ukraine's Unwinnable War.” In it, he called the former president a “fool” and a “buffoon” for both the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021, and the “enormous mistake” of withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal.

Alanna Durkin Richer and Stephany Matat report for The Associated Press.

Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Audrey McAvoy in Kaaawa, Hawaii, Terry Spencer in Fort Lauderdale and Zeke Miller in Washington also contributed to this report.