A jury convicted Ryan Routh, 59, on Tuesday for trying to kill US President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course last year. He now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.

Charges and Sentencing

Routh faced five serious charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon, and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He will be sentenced on December 18. The attempted assassination carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The other charges carry sentences from five to twenty years. After the guilty verdict, a court witness said that Routh tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen.

The Assassination Attempt

The attack happened on September 15, 2024, during the presidential election campaign. Routh aimed a rifle at Trump at his Florida golf course. A Secret Service agent spotted the rifle through the trees and fired, forcing Routh to drop the weapon and run. Authorities arrested him later that day. This was the second attempt on Trump’s life during the campaign.

Evidence of Planning and Stalking

Witnesses said Routh stalked Trump and collected both physical and electronic evidence. FBI agents found that cellphone data placed him near the golf course for weeks, including 16 hours on September 2. One of his burner phones showed searches for “Trump’s upcoming rallies” and “Palm Beach traffic cameras.”

Prosecutors said Routh planned his escape in detail. He obtained multiple license plates, used three aliases, and searched for directions to Miami airport and flights to Mexico. Text messages showed he told a friend in Mexico he would “may see you Monday”, the day after he planned the attack. Investigators also said he researched local hospitals and how to make a tourniquet, preparing for emergencies.

Trial Focused on Intent

The trial focused on intent versus result. Routh claimed the assassination “was never going to happen”. He argued he had no intent. “If the attempted assassination was not taken, it is not an attempt. There was no intent,” he said, according to CNN.

Prosecutors said Routh obsessively tracked his target. They argued that a crime does not need to be completed to convict someone. They stressed that intent to kill alone is enough to prove attempted assassination.