A former North Carolina neighbor of Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump, has spoken out, describing him as "a little cuckoo" and saying that many people in their neighborhood were afraid of him. The neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, shared her perspective on Routh’s behavior over the years, expressing disbelief that he would target the former president.
"I knew he was a little cuckoo," the neighbor told Fox 8 on Sunday, noting that she had known Routh for nearly 20 years when he lived in Greensboro, North Carolina. "He's going to be going away for a long time," she added, referring to Routh's arrest following the alleged assassination attempt.
Though she described Routh as unpredictable, the neighbor was shocked to learn that he would go as far as to attempt to kill Trump. "Trying to shoot Trump? That’s a lot. I would have never guessed. I would have sworn up and down, no, that’s not him," she said, expressing her disbelief at the news.
Routh’s behavior over the years had raised concerns in the community. "I've seen the guns myself," the neighbor shared. "They had a lot of guns over there, and yeah, a lot of people were afraid of him back in the day."
Despite these concerns, the neighbour admitted that when Routh left North Carolina for Hawaii earlier this year, nothing appeared out of the ordinary. She recounted their final interaction, when Routh hugged her goodbye before moving. "He told me it was his last day here, and he hugged me goodbye," she said. "I thought he was just living the life in Hawaii with his girlfriend and all."
The neighbor was floored to learn about Routh's alleged involvement in an assassination plot, a far cry from the man she had known. "For him to be assassinating the president, that’s just crazy," she said.
Routh, 58, had a troubled history. His LinkedIn page lists him as a former student of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, but he relocated to Hawaii around 2018. His political leanings were no secret, as he frequently posted about politics and had consistently donated to Democratic candidates and causes since 2019.
The accused gunman also had a lengthy criminal record in North Carolina. According to records from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, someone with Routh's name and date of birth had accumulated over a dozen criminal charges in 2001 and 2002, including carrying a concealed weapon and involvement in a hit-and-run incident.
The case has drawn national attention as details about Routh's background and motivations continue to unfold. While the investigation progresses, those who knew Routh during his time in North Carolina struggle to reconcile the person they once knew with the man accused of orchestrating a violent plot against the former president.
As for Trump, this was the second assassination attempt against him in nine weeks and has drawn widespread condemnation, from both the Republican and Democratic quarters. Yesterday, Trump's family members too made an emotion plea to spare the life of the former US president.