FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — Following his conviction for attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at a Florida golf course last year, Ryan Routh made a shocking move in the courthouse, attempting to stab himself in the neck with a pen. This incident occurred almost immediately after the jury found him guilty. Law enforcement quickly intervened, dragging him out of the courtroom as his daughter, Sara Routh, expressed her distress, shouting, “Dad, I love you, don’t do anything. I’ll get you out. He didn’t hurt anybody.”

The jury, comprising five men and seven women, took just two hours to deliberate before delivering their verdict, convicting Routh on multiple counts, including attempting to assassinate a candidate for the presidency and possessing firearms as a convicted felon. He had pleaded not guilty and represented himself during the trial.

Routh's daughter insisted the case against him was rigged as she awaited her father's transport to prison. In his defense, Routh claimed he never intended to harm anyone, arguing that simply aiming a rifle at Trump while he played golf did not constitute a crime because the trigger was never pulled.

Prosecutors described Routh as having plotted extensively before the incident, detailing how Routh had aimed his rifle through shrubbery as Trump was on the green during his September 15, 2024, visit to the West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent testified that he spotted Routh before Trump approached and that shots were fired, forcing Routh to drop his weapon and flee the scene.

While Routh insisted that he posed no real threat, calling for sympathy based on his perspective of the events, law enforcement described his acts over the years as dangerous and disruptive, including previous arrests related to illegal firearms and threats of violence.

As the courtroom tension escalated, Attorney General Pam Bondi remarked that the guilty verdict emphasized the government's commitment to addressing political violence. Routh's tumultuous history included reports of trying to recruit soldiers for conflicts abroad and criminal charges of terrorism. This latest incident adds another layer to his already intricate and harrowing narrative.