The man accused of attempting to kill former President Donald Trump has a long history with the law, and one of his previous arresting officers is surprised he is still alive, let alone not behind bars.
Ryan Wesley Routh, who is suspected of attempting to assassinate Trump on Sunday at the International Golf Club in Florida, was convicted of possessing a weapon of mass destruction in 2002.
Routh was pulled over by the Greensboro Police Department on Dec. 16, 2002, before driving to United Roofing and barricading himself within the local North Carolina business for three hours, WIRED magazine reported.
"I figured he was either dead or in prison by now," Charging officer Tracy Fulk told the magazine, "I had no clue that he had moved on and was continuing his escapades."
Fulk continued by revealing how Routh had been well-known in the triad area prior to his arrest, recalling how local police was often alerted of weapons he had in his possession.
While the exact weapon Routh had in his possession at the time of the arrest has not yet been determined, former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer outlined what the term could refer to in a statement provided to NewsNation Prime.
"Essentially, it's a weapon that can be used to cause a lot of damage to any sort of infrastructure or a large population," Coffindaffer explained. "That can be radiological, that could be chemical, that could be nuclear, that could be explosive."
"We don't know the exact details, but this is a very serious charge," she continued.
The Greensboro News and Record reported that, according to court filings surrounding the case, Routh was charged with possessing a fully automatic machine gun, which is referred to as a weapon of mass destruction, as well as carrying a concealed weapon, resisting and obstruction law enforcement and driving without a valid driver's license.
Sunday marks the second recent attempt on former President Trump's life, with the first occurring in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13. A secret service agent spotted a rifle sticking out of a perimeter fence at the International Golf Club, firing four rounds in the direction of the threat. Law enforcement then arrested Routh, who was seen attempting to flee the scene.
Trump was unharmed and removed from the premises safely.
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