Ryan W. Routh, suspected of attempting to assassinate Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course, stands handcuffed after his arrest during a traffic stop near Palm City, Florida, Sept. 15, 2024.
A photograph of the SKS rifle alleged to be used in an apparent attempted assassination on Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump is seen in court papers filed before the second appearance of suspect Ryan W. Routh in this undated handout image.

FORT PIERCE, FL – A jury on Tuesday, Sept. 23, found Ryan Routh guilty of trying to kill Donald Trump at one of his Florida golf courses last year.

Routh, 59, was convicted in federal court of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, a charge carrying a possible sentence of life in prison. The 12-person jury also found him guilty of assaulting a federal officer and several weapons violations.

After the verdict was read, Routh appeared to try and stab himself in the neck with a pen. U.S. Marshals tackled him and dragged Routh from the courtroom. As they did, his daughter, Sara, pleaded with her father not to hurt himself.

"Dad, I love you!" she screamed from the back of the courtroom. "I'll get you out. He didn't hurt anybody!"

Routh was shackled and brought back to the courtroom to finish the proceedings. He did not appear to be injured.

The trial ended just over a year after authorities say Routh perched himself with a rifle outside the fence of Trump International Golf Club on Sept. 15, 2024, and waited over 11 hours for Trump to walk into his line of sight. Prosecutors say the plot was thwarted by a U.S. Secret Service agent who spotted Routh and opened fire, leading him to drop his rifle and flee. Routh was arrested less than an hour later.

Routh's capture made international headlines and came just over two months after Trump was wounded in an attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania. Routh's verdict arrived in the shadow of more political violence. Earlier this month, conservative activist and close Trump ally Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University.

After Routh's sentence was announced, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement on X that the result "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 itself," Bondi added.

A former roofer and one-time Trump supporter, Routh represented himself in a speedy trial marked by outbursts and contentious exchanges between him and Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee. Before the trial began, Routh challenged Trump to a “beatdown session” or a round of golf, writing in public court filings that if “(Trump) wins he can execute me, I win I get his job.”

Over the course of the 12-day trial, Routh tried to convince the jury he has a "nonviolent" nature and never intended to murder Trump. Prosecutors presented a slew of physical evidence, cellphone data and writings that they said demonstrated how Routh methodically planned an attack for months and was consumed with hate for Trump.

After the jury handed down its verdict, Trump took to his social media platform to thank federal, state and local authorities for their work on the case.

"This was an evil man with an evil intention, and they caught him," Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling the verdict a "very big moment for JUSTICE IN AMERICA!"

Prosecutors relied on physical evidence, data trail, writings

Doctors psychologically evaluated Routh and determined he was competent enough to stand trial. Cannon allowed Routh to represent himself, though she ordered court-appointed counsel to “stand-by” in case Routh needed assistance.

Over the course of the trial, jurors heard from a range of law enforcement officials, forensic experts and acquaintances of Routh. Prosecutors said Routh meticulously planned to take Trump’s life, alleging that he tracked the Republican presidential nominee’s movements and visited Trump’s golf course more than a dozen times before the attempted assassination.

Following his arrest, a trove of evidence linked Routh to the attack, including cell phone data, DNA on a rifle and other items authorities recovered. Texts, writings and physical notes purportedly written by Routh hinted at his desire to kill Trump, prosecutors argued.

Among the writings was a letter about the assassination attempt that Routh allegedly left with an acquaintance months before the incident. The letter was addressed “Dear World," and stated, among other things, "This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you."

A self-titled book apparently written by Routh called readers to "assassinate Trump" in part because of his foreign policy position on Iran. In the book, Routh also wrote that he voted for Trump in 2016, but came to regret that decision after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Routh argued he is 'nonviolent' and ranted about Ukraine, Putin

At the time of his arrest, Routh had a struggling roofing business and a long criminal history. A North Carolina native who later moved to Hawaii, Routh pleaded guilty to multiple felonies in the 2000s, including possessing an illegal explosive device, for which he lost the right to own a firearm.

Routh advocated for democracy in Taiwan and suggested in a series of X posts that he had traveled to Ukraine to fight on behalf of the beleaguered country.

During the trial, Routh based his defense on character evidence and sought to portray himself as a harmless and peaceful man who "could not pull the trigger." While cross examining a man who formerly worked for his roofing company in North Carolina, Routh asked if he was an angry person or had ever "gotten mad.”

"Not with me," the man, Samuel Plata, replied.

Routh also used his time before the court to decry violence abroad, speaking about Russian President Vladimir Putin, the war in Ukraine and even Adolf Hitler. Routh’s opening statement quickly veered into topics the judge considered “out of bounds,” leading Cannon to cut him short and admonish his behavior as a “clear violation of the court’s order.”

In his final arguments, Routh urged jurors to find him not guilty of all charges, telling them that he was incapable of carrying out an attack and never truly intended to kill Trump.

"The individual could not pull the trigger," Routh said, referring to himself in the third person. "That's the whole of it."

Routh trial comes amid streak of political violence

Routh's conviction comes as the nation grapples with a spate of political violence that has fueled fear over attacks on public figures.

Weeks before Routh was arrested in Florida, a gunman fired at Trump while he was speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A bullet grazed Trump's ear and a spectator, Corey Comperatore, was killed. Law enforcement at the scene fatally shot the suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks.

In April, a man was charged with attempted murder after police say he set fire to the home of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro while the Democrat and his family were sleeping inside. In Minnesota, a gunman killed Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Democratic State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also injured in the attack.

On Sept. 10, Kirk, the co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot in the neck while speaking in front of a crowd of thousands in Orem, Utah. The alleged gunman, Tyler Robinson, was charged with murder in connection with the assassination.

Contributing: Bart Jansen and Jeanine Santucci; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ryan Routh found guilty of trying to assassinate Donald Trump at Florida golf course

Reporting by Christopher Cann, Julius Whigham II and Hannah Phillips, USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect