The man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at his Florida golf course has pleaded not guilty to the charges in a federal court.
Prosecutors say Ryan Routh, 58, was spotted with a rifle as he hid in the bushes near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach earlier this month.
A Secret Service officer protecting the former president allegedly spotted his rifle barrel poking through a fence and opened fire. Routh fled and was later arrested on Interstate 95, a main highway through the state.
In addition to the attempted assassination of Trump, Routh has been charged with two firearms offences.
On Monday, Routh appeared in court handcuffed and wearing a brownish prison jumpsuit, according to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.
After each count was read to him, he shook his head in acknowledgment of the charges.
His attorneys entered a plea of not guilty and requested a trial by jury. The hearing lasted around five minutes.
If convicted, Routh faces a maximum sentence of life in prison on the assassination charge. Each of the gun charges carry a 20-year maximum sentence.
An earlier court filing showed that Routh had written a note months ago saying he intended to kill Trump.
Routh has been held in prison in Florida since his arrest on 15 September.
He has a long criminal record, including a felony gun conviction for owning a fully automatic machine gun, and was barred from owning firearms as a result.
He was active in recruiting volunteers to fight in Ukraine’s war against Russia, and had a range of eclectic political views, although he was registered as a Democrat and made anti-Trump posts online.
This article was originally published at www.bbc.com
