A North Carolina native with deep roots in Greensboro will spend the rest of his life in federal prison for attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump during the 2024 campaign.
Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, was just sentenced to life in prison following a federal trial in Florida. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon imposed the sentence after jurors convicted Routh on attempted assassination, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple firearms charges.
Routh was born in Guilford County and spent most of his life in Greensboro. He attended local schools, earned Eagle Scout honors in 1980, and later enrolled at UNC Greensboro and North Carolina A&T, though he did not graduate.
In the early 1990s, Routh ran a Greensboro-based roofing company that employed dozens of workers. Former neighbors later described his family as unsettling and unpredictable. His criminal history dates back decades, including a 2002 conviction involving a fully automatic weapon and a 2010 stolen-goods case.
Despite later instability, Routh was once publicly praised in Greensboro. In 1991, he helped confront a suspected rapist during a dramatic chase and received a civilian honor from a local police association.
Prosecutors said Routh spent months planning the 2024 assassination attempt at Trump International Golf Club. A Secret Service agent spotted him with a weapon, opened fire, and sparked a chase that ended with his arrest. Investigators found a scoped rifle, armor plates, and surveillance equipment at the scene.
Prosecutors argued the life sentence reflects the seriousness of targeting a major presidential candidate and threatening public safety.
