FBI sniper says hiding spot near golf course was ideal for would-be Trump shooter
Testimony in the Ryan Routh trial details the position, weapon range and surveillance tied to the Florida assassination attempt, plus related airport footage and a prior Pennsylvania incident.
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — An FBI sniper testified Thursday that the hiding spot along the fence at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach was an ideal position to shoot President Donald Trump as he played last year. Special Agent Nicholas Schnelle said the shooter would have been about 126 feet from the sixth green, with vegetation providing concealment, and that the spot was close enough to offer a clear line of sight. He said the SKS rifle recovered from the scene has an effective range of about 350 meters (1,150 feet), and that even the basic iron sights could have hit a human-sized target at that distance; the scope recovered would have made the shot easier, Schnelle added.
Today marked the sixth day of the trial of Ryan Routh, who prosecutors say spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before aiming the rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played Sept. 15, 2024, at the West Palm Beach club. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had initially scheduled more than three weeks for the trial at the Fort Pierce federal courthouse, but prosecutors say they expect to rest their case Friday, and Routh, who is representing himself, is set to begin his case on Monday. He has indicated he will call a firearms expert and two character witnesses; it remains unclear whether he will testify himself.
Separately, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Detective Kenny Smith testified that a man who looked like Routh visited Palm Beach International Airport about a week before the alleged attack and spent time in an atrium where he could watch the Trump plane take off. Security video tracked the man as he drove into a parking garage, walked to the atrium, watched the plane depart and then left. During cross-examination, Routh asked whether going to the airport to photograph airplanes is illegal; the detective said it is legal.
Earlier, a Secret Service agent testified that he spotted Routh before Trump came into view, and that Routh aimed his rifle at the agent. The agent opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot. A witness who observed the exchange was later flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate, where investigators confirmed the person seen was the suspect and he was arrested.
Nine weeks earlier, Trump survived an attempt on his life while campaigning in Pennsylvania. That gunman fired eight shots, with one bullet grazing Trump’s ear; the gunman was fatally shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.
Prosecutors are expected to rest their case Friday; Routh’s defense case is scheduled to begin Monday, with his plan to call a firearms expert and two character witnesses.