Florida
Trump assassination attempt: Why Florida prosecutor says ‘insanity’ defense won’t stick for suspect
Ryan Wesley Routh’s affinity for the Ukrainian cause in the country’s fight against a Russian invasion shows he knows enough about right and wrong to make an insanity defense a tough sell in connection with his alleged failed assassination plot against former President Trump, according to a Florida prosecutor.
State Attorney Dave Aronberg, who is not handling Routh’s case after federal prosecutors claimed jurisdiction, said that although the suspect was seen smiling and laughing with defense lawyers in his first court appearance Monday, his “manic” demeanor doesn’t strike him as criminally insane.
“He fled after all, tried to get away and escape,” he said. “So that shows you that he knew the difference between right and wrong. What’s ironic about this guy is that he also understood that the Ukrainians were the good guys in their fight against the Russians – but to try to make his point, he was trying to do an evil act in attempting apparently to kill someone.”
TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT LAUGHS, SMILES DURING FIRST COURT APPEARANCE IN FLORIDA
Ryan W. Routh, suspected of attempting to assassinate former President Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course, stands handcuffed after his arrest near Palm City, Florida, Sept. 15, 2024. (Martin County Sheriffs Office/Handout via Reuters)
An unnamed U.S. Secret Service agent saw a rifle barrel poking through the fence Sunday afternoon, nearly 12 hours after federal investigators say Routh’s phone began pinging on the edge of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
He fled into a Nissan SUV and sped off – heading north on Interstate 95 toward his home in North Carolina.
WATCH: Florida prosecutor pokes hole in potential defense for Trump assassination attempt suspect
Police were able to quickly obtain descriptions of both the suspect and his vehicle with the help of an eyewitness, authorities said.
At the scene, investigators recovered an SKS rifle, a digital video camera and two bags – one of which had food inside, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in federal court.
WITNESS SAW TRUMP ASSASSINATION SUSPECT FLEE BUSHES, TOOK PHOTO OF GETAWAY CAR
“This is something where this guy has got a real disconnect in his value system,” Aronberg said. “There’s a screw loose somewhere, it’s just [that] in my mind, not enough to sustain an insanity defense under the law.”
WATCH: Failed Trump assassination suspect Ryan Routh captured on bodycam video
Routh had something to say about the Ukrainian conflict in a 2022 interview with Newsweek Romania.
“A lot of the other conflicts are gray, but this conflict is definitely black and white,” he told the outlet. “This is about good versus evil. This is a storybook, you know, any movie we’ve ever watched, this is definitely evil against good.“
Routh is facing federal firearm charges for allegedly possessing an SKS rifle despite multiple prior felony convictions and for the weapon’s allegedly defaced serial number.
FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Veltri also said that in 2019, a tipster reported that Routh might be a felon unlawfully in possession of a firearm in Hawaii. The complainant was interviewed. However, they did not verify the information. Routh was not interviewed by the FBI, which forwarded details to Honolulu authorities.
DEM REP DEMANDS SECRET SERVICE EXPAND TRUMP PROTECTIVE PERIMETER: ‘UNACCEPTABLE’
Trump assassination attempt suspect Ryan Routh was seen being taken into custody Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in bodycam footage released Monday. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office )
He’s due back in court later this month, and authorities say additional charges could be forthcoming.
They could include aggravated assault for allegedly pointing the rifle at a Secret Service agent and making threats against a former president, Aronberg told Fox News Digital.
A federal attempted murder case is rare, he added.
“They may not have all the evidence yet,” he said. “They’re still investigating. But also, that’s more of a charge at the state level than at the federal level.”
President Trump plays golf at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, Dec. 28, 2020. (Reuters/Marco Bello)
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Trump is scheduled to hold his first rally following the second attempt on his life on Wednesday. He will speak with voters at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.
Patrick Ryder, the county police commissioner, vowed attendees would “be in the safest place in the country.”
Former President Trump was injured during an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Trump survived another assassination attempt on July 13, when 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. He struck the former president in the ear, killed a 50-year-old father of two named Corey Comperatore and seriously wounded David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74.
Counter-snipers returned fire and killed him, but the security lapse that allowed him to climb onto a rooftop with a clear line of sight to the former president prompted multiple investigations and a shakeup at the top ranks of the Secret Service.
Florida
Florida Wawa gas station plans approved for new Treasure Coast store
Plans for a new Wawa to open in Port St. Lucie were approved.
A new Wawa fuel station and convenience store will open in Port St. Lucie now that the plans have been approved.
The Wawa will be at the corner of Village Parkway and Becker Road in front of the Lowe’s which is expected to open in the summer of 2026, according to the city’s website.
The plans for a Wawa convenience store and eight fuel pumps were submitted to the city Dec. 3, 2025.
What will go in Port St. Lucie’s Southern Grove?
The plans for the Shoppes at Southern Grove show there will be a new Lowe’s store and six additional outparcels.
The six additional outparcels include the following:
- Gas station: 5,915 square feet
- Outparcel A: 1.2 acres
- Outparcel B: 1.14 acres
- Outparcel C: 1.83 acres
- Outparcel D: 1.04 acres
- Outparcel E: 1.02 acres
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
Florida
Five Florida Panthers Named to Rosters for 2026 IIHF World Championship | Florida Panthers
SUNRISE, Fla. – Five Florida Panthers players and five staff members will represent their home countries at the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship, taking place May 15 through May 31 in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland. Games will be broadcast on NHL Network in the United States.
Marek Alscher, 22, will represent Czechia at the IIHF World Championship for the first time. He previously played for his home country at the 2024 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship, skating in seven games to help the Czechs capture the bronze medal over Finland. Alscher made his NHL debut with the Panthers in 2025-26, notching three assists over four games played. He also skated in 52 American Hockey League (AHL) games with Florida’s affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, recording 11 points (3-8-11).
Aleksander Barkov, 30, missed the 2026 Winter Olympic Games due to injury but had been named to Finland’s preliminary roster in June of 2025. He previously earned a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games alongside current Panthers assistant coach Tuomo Ruutu, and earned a silver medal representing his home country at the 2016 IIHF Men’s World Championship. At the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, Barkov served as captain of Finland.
Anton Lundell, 24, will be participating in his second IIHF World Championship after earning a silver medal with Finland in 2021, where he posted seven points (4-3-7) in 10 games as a 19-year-old. He helped Finland capture the bronze medal at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games this season and previously earned gold at the 2019 IIHF U20 WJC and 2018 IIHF U18 WJC, as well as a bronze medal at the 2021 U20 WJC.
Sandis Vilmanis, 22, will represent Latvia at the IIHF World Championship for the first time in his career. He played for Latvia at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in February as well as at the 2022, 2023 and 2024 IIHF U20 World Junior Championships, serving as an alternate captain in 2024 where he produced four points (2-2-4) over five games. Vilmanis made his NHL debut with the Panthers in 2025-26, logging five points (3-2-5) in 19 games with Florida while compiling 38 points (17-21-38) in 48 American Hockey League (AHL) contests with the Panthers affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.
Matthew Tkachuk, 28, will attempt to become the first American to join the Triple Gold Club (Stanley Cup, World Championship Gold Medal and Olympic Gold Medal), as well as the first player in NHL history to win all three parts of the Triple Gold Club within a 12-month span. This will be Tkachuk’s first time participating in the IIHF World Championship.
In addition to his 2026 Olympic gold medal, Tkachuk also earned gold representing the United States at the 2015 IIHF U18 World Junior Championship and the 2014 U17 World Hockey Challenge, as well as a bronze medal at the 2016 IIHF U20 WJC. He served as alternate captain for the U.S. at the 2026 Olympics and 2025 4 Nations Face-Off.
Florida will have four staff members representing the United States. Panthers Assistant General Manager Brett Peterson is serving as General Manager for the second time after holding the position in 2024. Panthers Head Equipment Manager Teddy Richards will serve as equipment manager and Florida’s Head Athletic Trainer Dave DiNapoli will work as athletic trainer. Panthers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Bill Zito will serve on the Advisory Group.
Panthers Assistant General Manager Gregory Campbell will assist with evaluating and selecting players for Canada.
Panthers fans can stay up to date on all the Cats’ representatives at the 2026 IIHF World Championships at FloridaPanthers.com/WorldChampionship.
2026-27 Florida Panthers Territory Memberships are available now! Click here to learn more. For all the latest in Panthers news, concerts and events at Amerant Bank Arena & FTL War Memorial, sign up for ’93 Society newsletter and receive information straight to your inbox. Visit FloridaPanthers.com or SeatGeek.com for all ticketing needs.
Florida
Lake O had 81 algal blooms in 2 years near Florida slaughterhouse site
A Martin County slaughterhouse near Lake Okeechobee could increase toxic algal blooms in the C-44 Canal, St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon.
There have been 81 algal blooms in the past two years within 2 miles of a proposed slaughterhouse in western Martin County, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Algal Bloom Dashboard.
The slaughterhouse will increase pollution and bring more potentially toxic algal blooms to Lake Okeechobee, whose waters sometimes are released into the C-44 Canal and flow into the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon in Stuart, opponents say.
Chancey Bay Ranch owner Tuny Mizrachi has proposed building a 56,784-square-foot slaughterhouse on 26 acres of his 2,046-acre-property at 8401 SW Connors Highway, abutting Lake O.
5 ways a slaughterhouse can increase Lake Okeechobee pollution
The Guardians of Martin County have raised at least five concerns with the Martin County Commission:
- Meat processing facilities, though necessary, have the potential to be noisy nuisances and significant sources of disease and pollution for air and water.
- The facility would be a new source of pollution in a watershed that’s designated as “impaired” because of elevated concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus.
- The facility would be a potential new source of pollutants near one of Martin County’s lowest income and most ethnically diverse communities.
- There’s no evidence the facility has a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, or plans to follow effluent limitation guidelines or conduct water-quality monitoring.
- The South Florida Water Management District has permitted the facility to withdraw 6.7 million gallons of water per year for 20 years from Florida’s surficial aquifer, despite it being subject to varying levels of saltwater intrusion, especially in Martin County. The SFWMD has designated all of Martin County a Water Resource Caution Area.
Blood, feces, oil, grease, ammonia and antibiotic residue from the proposed slaughterhouse would contribute to harmful algal blooms, including toxic cyanobacteria, Martin County Administrator Don Donaldson wrote to the DEP and SFWMD.
Tim O’Hara is TCPalm’s environment reporter. Contact him at tim.ohara@tcpalm.com.
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