Sheriff William Snyder of Florida's Martin County told Newsmax on Monday that it was "very perplexing" that alleged would-be assassin Ryan Wesley Routh knew former President Donald Trump would be golfing Sunday, since the outing reportedly was a last-minute addition to Trump's schedule.
"That's the $64 million question," Snyder said on "Wake Up America." "Very perplexing, because my understanding is that he drove a long way. He's not from here. So, it's not like somebody that lived nearby was patrolling the area, kind of got a feel of every once in a while, Trump would show up unannounced.
"I would ask that question. That would be the first thing I'd want to know if I was the federal government. What the heck was going on that put this guy on Trump at the golf course without any advance notice to the public that he would be out there?"
Secret Service agents spotted Routh on Sunday with a scoped AK-47 rifle near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Routh reportedly had set up a GoPro camera on a fence and fashioned a makeshift sniper's nest in the property's hedges as he waited for Trump to make his way down the fairway and come within range.
Routh fled the scene after the Secret Service opened fire, but was arrested a short time later on I-95.
Snyder said that after the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office put out the alert about Routh's vehicle information, one of his road patrol vehicles spotted it "within about 15 minutes."
"We had mobilized along the interstate, and we were able to follow the car for a couple miles and then, using what we call a pinch maneuver, force the vehicle to a stop on I-95 and then do a felony stop and take him into custody without incident," Snyder said.
Right after the stop, Snyder said, Routh "had the demeanor of somebody coming home after a Sunday picnic."
"He was unperturbed, he did not seem particularly rattled," Snyder said. "The interstate was shut down, helicopters overhead, you can picture it, guns, everything out. He was fine. He did not say a word. He asked no questions, he absolutely went with the flow.
"It seemed like he was expecting almost to get arrested. He never said one thing about Why are you stopping me? He didn't protest. He just went with the program, which for him was very good because had he given us trouble, had he run or produced a firearm, you'd be interviewing me now on exactly what caused his death."
Asked when Routh's motive will be known, Snyder said the case is in the hands of federal authorities.
"I can tell you that, from a law enforcement standpoint, from an investigative standpoint, his motive will be key," Snyder said. "They want to know what was going through his head. Did he have help? Is this a conspiracy? Was this a lone wolf? Is he a front man for an organization? They have their hands full. This will not be an easy case to unravel."
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