A man identified as Ryan Wesley Routh faces an indictment for attempted assassination after allegedly staking out Donald Trump for 12 hours at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. Routh had previously been charged with federal firearms offenses but now faces upgraded charges signaling a calculated plan to kill the former president. The indictment includes five counts, with one charge specifically alleging the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, which carries a potential life sentence upon conviction.

Court records reveal that Routh, who had expressed his desire to kill Trump in a handwritten note months before his arrest, was observed aiming a rifle through the shrubbery surrounding Trump's golf course while the former president was playing. Despite not striking any rounds or having Trump in his line of sight, Routh was taken into custody after a member of Trump's Secret Service protective detail spotted him with a weapon. Authorities apprehended Routh in a neighboring county after he attempted to flee the scene.

The incident occurred two months after Trump survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The Secret Service, although acknowledging prior failings in security procedures, successfully thwarted the potential attack in Florida. Routh is also facing charges of assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and the original firearms charges from last week. These charges stem from Routh's possession of a loaded SKS-style rifle with a scope and a handwritten list of venues where Trump was scheduled to appear.