A man accused of trying to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump last year at his Florida golf course was found guilty on Tuesday.
The jury of five men and seven women found Ryan Routh guilty on all counts that he was facing after two hours of deliberation.
As the jurors were on their way out of the courtroom, Routh grabbed a pen and tried to stab himself in the neck. Marshals swarmed him, picked him up and dragged him out of the courthouse.
A few minutes later, Routh was brought back inside. He was no longer wearing a jacket and tie, and was shackled. There were no signs of blood on his shirt.
The judge said Routh will be sentenced on Dec. 18. He faces life in prison.
Defended himself in court
Routh had been charged with attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges and defended himself in court.
Prosecutors said Routh spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before aiming a rifle through shrubbery as the Republican played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his country club in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Routh told jurors in his closing argument that he didn’t intend to kill anyone that day.
“It’s hard for me to believe that a crime occurred if the trigger was never pulled,” Routh said. He pointed out that he could see Trump as he was on the path toward the sixth-hole green at the golf course and said that he also could have shot a Secret Service agent who confronted him if he had intended to harm anyone.
Routh did not testify
Routh, 59, exercised his constitutional right not to testify in his own defence. He rested his case Monday morning after questioning just three witnesses — a firearms expert and two characters witnesses — for a total of about three hours.
In contrast, prosecutors spent seven days questioning 38 witnesses.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that the guilty verdict “illustrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to punishing those who engage in political violence.”
“This attempted assassination was not only an attack on our President, but an affront to our very nation,” Bondi said.
WATCH | What’s known about Routh: 
What’s known about accused in apparent Trump assassination attempt
Ryan Routh, the man arrested after what police say was an apparent assassination attempt against Donald Trump, has a lengthy criminal record and a Ukrainian legion member says he tried to insert himself into efforts to recruit troops for Ukraine.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on Routh’s request to represent himself following two hearings in July. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a right to represent themselves in court proceedings, as long as they can show a judge they are competent to waive their right to be defended by an attorney.
Routh’s former defence attorneys have served as standby counsel since he took over his own defence and have been present during trial the past two weeks.
2nd attempt against Trump
Recounting what happened at the golf course, a Secret Service agent testified earlier in the trial that he spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot, the agent said.
Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who testified that he saw a person fleeing the area after hearing gunshots. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witness said he confirmed it was the person he had seen.
Besides the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.
Just nine weeks earlier, Trump had survived an attempt on his life while campaigning in Butler, Penn. That gunman had fired eight shots, with one bullet grazing Trump’s ear. The gunman was then fatally shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.
