Southeast
Trump assassination plot exposes Ryan Routh's bomb bust, barricade with illegal gun in professional demise
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Ryan Routh, the man named as a suspect in what authorities believe was an assassination attempt against former President Trump on Sunday, deteriorated from a successful roofer to a man who thought the IRS was sending the cops after him, according to a retired officer who had more than 100 interactions with Routh.
Routh’s arrest record in Guilford County, North Carolina, spans between the 1980s and 2010, and his charges range from writing multiple bad checks to felony firearm possession, possession of a stolen vehicle and multiple counts of possession of a weapon of mass destruction in 2002 — specifically, a “binary explosive with a 10-in[ch] detonation cord and a blasting cap.”
“Routh’s attitude was that he was above everybody. He could do what he wanted,” Eric Rasecke, a retired Greensboro Police Department officer and Air Force veteran, told Fox News Digital. “It didn’t matter. He was pretty entitled. … He ran his mouth quite a bit about how he could get off and how he owned a successful business and nobody could do anything to him and he knew everybody in Greensboro.”
The first time Rasecke met Routh was in the late 1990s when the now-retired officer pulled him over for a traffic violation.
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Ryan Routh barricaded himself inside his roofing business in Greensboro, N.C., in 2002. (Fox News Digital)
“You’d see him all the time riding his company trucks,” Rasecke said. He saw Routh at least once a day because the suspect lived and worked in Rasecke’s patrol zone.
“He would drive right by you and smile.… We got on a first-name basis.”
“It would be not uncommon to have him cited many times a week. He was brazen about it,” Rascecke said of Routh’s blatant and repeated use of a vehicle with an expired license and registration. “He would never try to hide it.”
Over the years, it was clear to Rasecke, however, that Routh was using drugs over the years and his physical appearance showed it as he lost weight and became more “paranoid.”
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Ryan Routh’s most recent mugshot from 2010. (Guilford County Sheriff’s Office)
“As years went by, you could see a change in him,” Rasecke said, noting later charges against Routh that escalated from minor traffic violations to a hit-and-run, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen goods, and eventually the weapon of mass destruction charges. In many cases involving multiple charges against Routh for a single incident, his defenders would get the court to dismiss or drop charges to alleviate the docket, Rasecke said, particularly because he was not a “particularly dangerous person,” and his crimes never resulted in bodily injury.
“He liked to run his mouth and play the victim.”
In December 2002, Routh barricaded himself inside his business — then located on Lee Street — with a semi-automatic rifle after being pulled over. The incident lasted approximately three hours before Routh surrendered and was apprehended without incident, The Greensboro News & Record reported at the time.
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“Negotiators came in. Special teams were activated, and after a couple hours of negotiations, he surrendered himself,” Rasceke recalled of the barricade incident.
Remnants of Routh’s roofing company, called United Roofing in Greensboro, still remain at what appears to have been Routh’s latest location for the company on Husbands Street, even though Routh moved to Hawaii years ago, according to neighbors in the area. (Fox News Digital)
“Because of his flagrant, above-the-law mentality, the fact that he felt like he could do anything, the city was after him because of his problems, the police were always picking on him, the drugs could warp…his mind, the issue of him barricading himself inside the business…should have put a red flag on his name,” the retired officer explained.
“the issue of him barricading himself inside the business… should have put a red flag on his name…”
Remnants of Routh’s roofing company called United Roofing in Greensboro still remain in a vacant lot on Husbands Street, though his actual business location where he barricaded himself two decades ago was located on what was formerly called Lee Street. Routh moved to Hawaii years ago, according to those who knew him.
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A general view of a home that was once allegedly occupied by Ryan Routh in Greensboro, North Carolina on Monday, September 16, 2024. Routh was arrested in West Palm Beach after allegedly attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump on Sunday. (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital)
Timothy Pruitt, branch manager of the local Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc., said he had numerous interactions with Routh in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when Routh’s business was taking off.
“I guarantee he could have been a millionaire by now if he hadn’t gone off the rails.”
Routh had “90 people working for him at one time,” Pruitt said.
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 )
Their interactions were normal. Pruitt described Routh as a “nice” guy when he knew the former Greensboro resident. Pruitt eventually learned from Routh’s daughter that Routh had apparently moved from Greensboro to Arizona, and then possibly Alaska, before his most recent home state of Hawaii.
About seven or eight months ago, Pruitt said, he looked Routh up on Facebook and saw that he had been posting frequently about politics and the Russia-Ukraine war. He thought about messaging Routh at the time but decided against it. Then, on Sunday, when Pruitt saw Routh’s photo on the television in connection with a suspected assassination attempt against Trump, he couldn’t believe it.
“I said, ‘Oh my goodness. That’s crazy,’” Pruitt recalled.
FBI investigators carry a box of evidence from the perimeter of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida on Monday, September 16, 2024. Ryan Routh was arrested earlier this week after allegedly attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump while hiding in the bushes along the golf course. (Mega for Fox News Digital)
Daniel Redford, president of the Charlotte Fraternal Order of Police, told Fox News Digital that Routh is “one of many people that probably have similar criminal records,” but the thing that concerns him most is the fact that Routh had access to firearms despite being a repeat convicted felon.
“If he’s a convicted felon, how did he have a gun in the first place?”
“Obviously, from law enforcement, when someone has an extensive record…those are red flags just from a safety aspect of things,” Redford said. “But there are a lot of people with violent pasts who have changed their ways. You just have to be cautious.”
RYAN ROUTH, ARMED MAN ARRESTED AT TRUMP GOLF COURSE, POSTED PROLIFICALLY ABOUT TRUMP, POLITICS
Redford believes “punishments need to be stronger for felons that are in possession of a weapon.”
He added that it’s not totally surprising to see a copycat assassination suspect after the first attempt on the former president’s life at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July.
“We’re in such a volatile political moment right now. … It’s just, and I don’t mean to be insensitive…bringing all the crazies out,” Redfrod said. “Both sides are guilty of inciting some type of violence and aggression. People doing it for the thrill, for the attention — I don’t understand what goes through people’s minds.”
Criminal defense attorney Brett Rosen similarly told Fox News Digital that he does not “think that Routh’s lengthy criminal record should have been a red flag for law enforcement.”
“There’s over 300 million people living in the U.S., and there’s no indication or any information that in the past or recent past of him threatening to harm President Trump,” Rosen said in a statement. “The real red flag here, if true, is that Routh was at the golf course location for approximately 12 hours. It’s very difficult to believe that the Secret Service or any law enforcement did a precursory sweep of the course before he played. If they had done one, they most likely would’ve discovered Routh well before at this location that the Secret Service agent opened fire on him.”
Rosen added that he would not be surprised if authorities charge Routh with attempted murder in the near future if they have enough evidence to do so.
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Southeast
Naked woman allegedly assaults deputy while intoxicated, claims she was ‘trying to be a mermaid’
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A Louisiana woman’s attempt to go for a skinny-dip did not end swimmingly, authorities said, after she allegedly attacked a sheriff’s deputy responding to a trespassing complaint before finally surrendering to deputies Tuesday.
According to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched in November to a residence in the Linville community of Marion after a caller reported a neighbor standing in their driveway screaming and refusing to leave the property despite having been warned previously.
When a patrol deputy arrived, authorities said the suspect was found nude and swimming in a pond located on the caller’s property.
The woman was later identified as Erin Elizabeth Sutton, 41, of Marion. Sutton initially refused to exit the pond or speak with the deputy, telling him she was “trying to be a mermaid,” according to a sheriff’s office Facebook post.
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Erin Elizabeth Sutton, 41, is accused of threatening a sheriff’s deputy in Louisiana after being caught skinny-dipping in a neighbor’s pond. She claimed she was “trying to be a mermaid,” according to police. (Union Parish Sheriff’s Office / Getty Images)
After repeated commands, Sutton eventually exited the pond. Due to cold temperatures, emergency medical services were contacted to evaluate her, authorities said.
A blanket was provided, and as the deputy attempted to escort Sutton inside a residence to warm up, she allegedly charged at him.
Authorities said Sutton ignored multiple commands to comply and resisted detention. A taser was deployed but had no effect, according to the sheriff’s office. Sutton was taken to the ground, where she allegedly continued to resist, kicking and punching the deputy before being restrained.
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The Union Parish Sheriff’s Office in Farmerville, La., announced on Facebook that 41-year-old Erin Elizabeth Sutton had allegedly attacked and threatened one of their deputies after skinny-dipping in a neighbor’s pond, citing she was “trying to be a mermaid.” (Google Maps)
Sutton was transported to a hospital for further treatment. During the transport, she allegedly threatened to kill deputies and paramedics, authorities said.
Because Sutton required medical care at the time, deputies later sought arrest warrants, which were signed by a judge in Louisiana’s Third Judicial District Court, according to the sheriff’s office.
Sutton surrendered to deputies on Jan. 6, 2025, and was arrested on multiple charges, including three counts of resisting an officer with force or violence, two counts of public intimidation, two counts of battery of a police officer, disturbing the peace/drunkenness and criminal trespassing.
According to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched in November to a residence in the Linville community of Marion after a caller reported a neighbor was trespassing. (iStock)
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Her bond was set at $62,000, authorities said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office for additional comment but did not immediately receive a response. It was not immediately clear whether Sutton has retained legal representation.
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Southeast
Dem governor-elect taps Crockett’s former ‘chief brand strategist’ for top DEI role
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FIRST ON FOX: Soon-to-be Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger has tapped the former “chief brand strategist” for Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, to serve in the state’s top diversity, equity and inclusion role.
In a Tuesday statement, Spanberger, who takes office on Jan. 17, announced she is appointing Dr. Sesha Joi Moon to serve as Virginia’s chief diversity officer and director of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Spanberger said that Moon’s “experience across government, education, and the nonprofit sectors gives her firsthand insight into the ways in which we can build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Virginia for every family.”
“I’m excited to announce that Dr. Moon is joining our administration,” said Spanberger, adding, “Virginia deserves leaders who will make sure our work to grow our Commonwealth’s economy keeps the needs of all Virginians in mind.”
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Virginia Democratic Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger celebrates as she takes the stage during her election night rally at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on Nov. 04, 2025. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
“When every Virginian has the opportunity to reach their full potential, it benefits all of us,” she said.
Moon, whose doctorates are in public administration and policy and self-identifies as a “Black queer woman,” responded to her appointment by saying she is looking “forward to joining the cabinet of Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger as her historic administration works to advance a future in which all Virginians have access to opportunity — to include residents from some of the hardest-to-reach communities throughout the Commonwealth.”
Moon most recently served as the chief impact officer for the Girl Scouts of the USA. Before that, through her private consultant practice Moon & Associates, she worked as the “chief brand strategist” for Crockett, a radical far-left Democrat who is currently running for the U.S. Senate in Texas.
Earlier this year, Moon appeared on a 40-minute podcast episode, where she defended the importance of DEI and delivered a direct message to critics, saying, “This work has not stopped. You can defund and dismantle all you want, but the work continues.”
“I’m excited. I feel like DEI is just getting started,” Moon continued. “I know that sounds so insane to some people because some people think our discipline is crumbling, and I don’t see it like that. I feel like we’re onto something here.”
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Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Moon also served as executive-in-residence with two-time failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams’ American Pride Rises Network, a DEI advocacy network.
Before that, she was the chief diversity officer of the U.S. House of Representatives during the 117th & 118th Congresses under Speakers Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Mike Johnson, R-La.
Spanberger won a decisive electoral victory this November, defeating Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears by a margin of over 10 percentage points.
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Then Republican Virginia gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears speaks at a CPAC Latino Rally for Virginia on October 25, 2025 in Sterling, Virginia. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Considered a purple state, Spanberger’s victory returns the Virginia governor’s mansion to the Democrats after being held by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger, Moon, Crockett, Abrams and the Girl Scouts of the USA for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
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Southeast
NASCAR star Denny Hamlin gives health update on mom after she was injured in deadly house fire
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NASCAR star Denny Hamlin shared an update on his mother’s condition after she was moved to a burn unit following a house fire in North Carolina that left his father dead earlier this week.
Hamlin thanked those who reached out to him and shared their condolences. Dennis Hamlin died from injuries suffered in the blaze that occurred in Stanley.
Denny Hamlin looks on prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in Concord, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)
“Thank you to everyone who has reached out with condolences on my father’s passing,” he wrote on X. “My mother continues to improve, and our family truly appreciates the outpouring of support and the respect for our privacy during this time.”
Officials said Mary Lou Hamlin was transferred to a burn specialist in Winston-Salem to treat her injuries.
Officials said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.
The fire broke out at a home in Stanley around 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, which drew emergency responses from Gaston and Lincoln Counties, according to Queen City News.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 12, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
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Both Dennis and Mary Lou Hamlin were out of the house as emergency personnel rushed to the scene.
“We are thankful for the multiple agency response and ask that the public be in prayer for the affected family and our first responders in fire, GEMs and police,” the Lucia-Bend Fire Department said in a statement to the outlet.
Dennis Hamlin’s death was announced later Monday.
NASCAR released a statement on Tuesday to honor the NASCAR driver’s father.
“NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to Denny Hamlin and the entire Hamlin family,” the organization said.
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, exits his car after the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 2, 2025, in Avondale, Arizona. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
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“Dennis Hamlin instilled a love of racing in his son, and sacrificed greatly to develop Denny into a world-class talent in the sport. We also continue to offer our thoughts and prayers to Denny’s mother, Mary Lou, and hope for her full recovery.”
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
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