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Full news conference: Florida to investigate Trump assassination attempt
Gov. Ron DeSantis will sign an executive order to assign the Office of Statewide Prosecutor in Florida to investigate the apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump, he announced during a news conference in West Palm Beach on Tuesday morning.
null - Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order on Tuesday to assign the Office of Statewide Prosecutor in Florida to investigate the apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump.
The governor announced the order during a news conference at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Training Division, just days after revealing the state would launch its own investigation.
The decision followed an incident where the suspected gunman, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, pointed a rifle through a fence at Trump International Golf Club while Trump was playing golf on Sunday afternoon.
The incident happened two months after a separate attempt on the Republican presidential nominee's life at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
Read the executive order below:
The governor stated that Routh is believed to have committed state law violations across several judicial circuits, including Palm Beach, Martin, and possibly Broward counties. He emphasized the intention to hold Routh accountable for 'the most serious charges on the books."
The investigation will be supervised by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.
"This deranged, would-be assassin broke Florida law, and we will not wait on the federal government to act," Moody said. "Florida is launching its own investigation, and I have directed my statewide prosecutors to assist FDLE and FHP, as we work quickly to uncover the facts behind this latest attempt on President Trump’s life and provide trust and transparency to the American people."
Routh is currently charged with federal gun crimes, including possession of a firearm despite being a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Under state law, the governor said Florida has jurisdiction to pursue an investigation and prosecute an attempted murder offense.
DeSantis stated the public "deserves to know the truth" about the attempted assassination and has "directed all state agencies to work expeditiously to be able to uncover the truth."
Trump assassination attempt at Florida golf course: What we know
Trump was golfing at one of his courses in West Palm Beach – about 4.5 miles inland from his famed Mar-a-Lago club – when U.S. Secret Service agents protecting him, fired at Routh who was pointing an AK-style firearm with a scope. Local authorities said the gunman was about 400 yards to 500 yards away from Trump and hiding in shrubbery.
Authorities said Routh did not have a line of sight to Trump when he was engaged by the Secret Service, and that the suspect never fired any shots, authorities said Monday. He was taken into custody after his vehicle was spotted on Interstate 95 in neighboring Martin County.
Trump was not injured.
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Social media role in Trump assassination attempt
What's next in the investigation into the second attempt to take former President Trump's life? We speak with the former Orlando police chief to see how the investigation unfolds.
FOX TV Stations contributed to this report.