Trump Assassination Attempt: Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For 2024 Florida Golf Course Shooting

Last Updated:February 05, 2026, 07:32 IST

The US Justice Department had sought a life sentence, with prosecutors stating that Routh showed no remorse and was prepared to kill or assault anyone who obstructed his plan.

Ryan Routh gets life sentence for Trump golf course assassination attempt. (Image: ANI)

Ryan Routh, the man who attempted to assassinate US President Donald Trump at a Florida golf course in 2024, has been sentenced to life in prison by a federal court.

Routh was found guilty in September on five counts, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate — Donald Trump.

The assassination attempt on Trump was made while he was campaigning for the 2024 US Presidential elections, after he set up a sniper position near the now US President’s West Palm Beach golf course and was thwarted by a US Secret Service agent. The sentencing was delivered on Wednesday (local time) by US District Judge Aileen Cannon, CNN reported.

Judge Cannon described Routh’s actions as “deliberate and evil", statig that his intent was to kill and that he came close to carrying out his plan.

According to CNN, Routh was handed multiple concurrent sentences in addition to life imprisonment, including 84 months for possessing a firearm during a violent crime, 240 months for assault on a federal officer, 18 months for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and 60 months for possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

The US Justice Department had sought a life sentence, with prosecutors stating that Routh showed no remorse and was prepared to kill or assault anyone who obstructed his plan.

During the trial, prosecutors presented photographs taken from Routh’s makeshift sniper’s nest, showing that Trump was just 126 feet away on the sixth green when Routh aimed his rifle.

The investigators also said that Routh had conducted surveillance of the golf course and Trump’s nearby Mar-a-Lago residence in the weeks leading up to the incident. He used burner phones to search for Trump’s rally schedules and local traffic cameras.

Evidence also included a handwritten letter in which Routh confessed to attempting to assassinate Trump and offered USD 150,000 to anyone who could “finish the job."

The assassination attempt took place on September 15, 2024, when Routh, armed with a Soviet-style rifle and shielded by armour plates, positioned himself along the perimeter fence of the golf course.

Additional evidence showed Routh had searched for escape routes, including directions to Miami airport and flights to Mexico.

(With agency inputs)

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