Local news in Greensboro doin some digging
Who is Ryan Routh? Digging into Trump suspect's ties to Greensboro
WFMY News 2 obtained video from 2002 showing a barricade situation involving Ryan Routh in Guilford County.
Author: Amber Lake
Published: 12:27 PM EDT September 16, 2024
Updated: 12:53 PM EDT September 16, 2024
GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Greensboro suspect in an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump now faces formal federal charges with more pending.
58-year-old Ryan Routh made his first court appearance Monday morning in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida. He received charges of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
The FBI arrested Routh Sunday after Secret Service agents saw the muzzle of an AK-47-style rifle pointing through shrubbery toward the former President Trump as Trump golfed on one of his courses.
Related: Phone records show suspect camped out by golf course for several hours
Trump is safe and thanking Secret Service for quick action.
Many questions remain about Routh. Investigators say he currently lives in Hawaii, but for years, he lived, studied, worked, and committed crimes in Greensboro.
According to public records, Routh owned a company called United Roofing. WFMY News 2 went by the property on Husbands Street, which appeared to be unoccupied for some time. Neighbors and businesses in the area said they haven't seen anyone at the listed address in years, but said the company used the property to dump trash.
Records show Ryan Routh owned the business United Roofing in Greensboro. We went by the property, which now appears abandoned.
Court documents show several legal battles United Roofing has been in. Many people have sued the business in years past.
Routh owned many properties through Guilford County. WFMY News 2's Amber Lake drove to several of those properties and many appear abandoned. Neighbors at those properties said they haven't seen anyone come by in years.
Voter registration records show Routh is registered to vote in North Carolina and listed a Greensboro address. WFMY News 2 went to that address, where a neighbor said Routh lived, but moved out in May.
Routh lived in Greensboro before moving to Hawaii with his son to operate a shed-building company.
WFMY News 2 obtained footage from 2002 where Routh was accused of barricading himself in a home in Guilford County. He was charged with possession of a weapon of mass destruction.
Routh has a long criminal history in North Carolina, according to the Department of Adult Corrections website - from hit-and-run to possession of stolen goods.
CBS News found several social media profiles that appear to be connected to Routh. He posted a lot about politics, but never seemed to post any threats. Routh did, however, post quite a bit about the war in Ukraine, hoping to raise money and recruit volunteers to go over and help fight against Russia.
Records also show Routh divorced a few years back and has adult children.
He attended North Carolina A&T State University for two semesters but did not graduate.
WFMY News 2 is continuing to learn more about Routh's connections to Greensboro.
https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/crime/who-is-ryan-routh-digging-into-trump-suspects-ties-to-greensboro/83-7c20e4ad-05f6-4a61-b1d2-dd0951cb8524