Trump Assassination Attempt Suspect Waited 12 Hours at Golf Course

The second assassination attempt against former U.S. President Donald Trump is under investigation, and it has been confirmed that the suspect waited near the crime scene for 12 hours.

On the 16th (local time), the U.S. Department of Justice charged Ryan Wesley Louse, identified as the suspect in the assassination attempt on former President Trump, with two counts: possession of a firearm prohibited to a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with a removed serial number.

Ryan Rouse, suspect in the assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

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According to CNN, these two charges are intended to detain Louse during the investigation, and additional charges may be applied as the investigation progresses.

According to the indictment, a Secret Service (SS) agent responsible for protecting former President Trump was walking along the edge of a golf course at around 1:31 p.m. the previous day when he saw an object resembling a rifle in the bushes and fired in that direction.

The suspect emerged from the trees and fled in a Nissan sport utility vehicle (SUV), and was arrested at around 2:14 p.m. on the I-95 highway. The Nissan SUV was equipped with license plates from a 2012 Ford truck reported stolen.

At the location where the suspect was found, a digital camera, two bags, a loaded SKS-type rifle equipped with a scope, and a black plastic bag containing food were discovered.

Although initially reported to be armed with an AK-47 type rifle, the indictment states it was an SKS-type rifle. The serial number on the rifle had been removed and was not visible to the naked eye.

The New York Times (NYT) reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sent the rifle to a forensic lab in Quantico, Virginia, to attempt to restore the serial number and verify purchase history.

According to the indictment, Louse was convicted in 2002 in North Carolina for possession of an unregistered weapon of mass destruction and in 2010 for possession of stolen property and other charges in North Carolina.

Investigators reviewing Louse’s phone records found that he stayed near the crime scene from 1:59 a.m. to 1:31 p.m. on the 15th, nearly 12 hours.

The NYT reported that Ronald Lo, acting director of the SS, admitted during a briefing that the area around the golf course where the suspect was hiding was not searched that day. Lo stated that former President Trump’s golf round was not part of an official schedule. It remains unclear how Louse knew about Trump’s unofficial golf course visit.

However, criticism has been raised as to why the Secret Service did not detect the suspect earlier despite his prolonged presence nearby. The NYT pointed out that it is widely known that former President Trump frequently plays golf on weekends, which entails associated risks.

Beth Celestini, a former SS agent who protected former President Barack Obama, commented upon hearing reports that the suspect was in the bushes for nearly 12 hours, saying, "If SS discipline had been in effect, the suspect should have been discovered before the incident."

According to the Washington Post (WP), Louse appeared in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, on the same day. Prosecutors requested that Louse be detained until the next hearing, citing flight risk and danger to the community, and the judge accepted the request.

The pretrial hearing and bail hearing are scheduled for the 23rd, and the arraignment, where the court will confirm the defendant’s plea of guilty or not guilty, is scheduled for the 30th.

According to major foreign media reports citing sources, former President Trump’s campaign schedule is expected to remain unchanged.

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