The FBI said it is investigating an apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump on Sunday at his Florida golf course, near his Mar-a-Lago home. So why is the suspect, Ryan Routh, only charged with weapons possession?
The answer is that these charges may not be the only ones he faces; more charges could follow as the case progresses. That would not be unusual in a criminal case, let alone a highly sensitive prosecution involving a former president and a current presidential candidate.
Routh appeared in federal court in Florida on Monday and was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number.
Certainly, these are serious charges that could result in prison time if Routh is convicted. And even if these are the only charges ever filed, they will likely be pursued aggressively by prosecutors in this high-profile case. These types of charges are easy to prove, and having a gun with an obliterated serial number can be devastating to defendants, as people can use such weapons to avoid detection.
According to an FBI agent’s affidavit filed Monday with the criminal complaint against Routh, a Secret Service agent assigned to Trump’s detail at his West Palm Beach golf course on Sunday saw what appeared to be a rifle sticking out of the tree line and the agent fired his weapon at the rifle. The affidavit says Routh then fled the area and agents seized a loaded rifle with a scope, a digital camera, two bags and some food.
Two months ago, the gunman in the attempted assassination of Trump in Pennsylvania was killed on the spot.
For comparison, consider another high-profile case involving attempted murder: the prosecution of Nicholas Roske, who is facing charges in Maryland for the attempted assassination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2022. In that case, the affidavit in support of the original criminal complaint alleged that the defendant admitted to trying to kill Kavanaugh. (Roske has pleaded not guilty.)
Meanwhile, the affidavit containing the complaint against Routh makes no such allegation. But that doesn’t mean authorities don’t have or develop additional evidence in the case that could lead to additional charges, nor would an outright confession be necessary to bring more serious charges.
Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for updates and expert analysis on the most important legal stories. The newsletter will return to its regular weekly schedule when the Supreme Court’s next term begins in October.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
