The arrest of a man in connection with an alleged assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump in Florida has elicited calls from several sources for more gun control, but the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms says the incident actually provides more evidence that gun control laws simply don’t work.

The suspect, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, has been charged with possession of a firearm by a repeat convicted felon & possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

In 2002, Trump assassin Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested for possessing a weapon of mass destruction, yet his punishment was shockingly light—probation.

The Department of Homeland Security defines a weapon of mass destruction as nuclear, radiological, chemical, or biological,… pic.twitter.com/pp0pjKpqOy

— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) September 16, 2024

Various published reports say he has “an extensive criminal record” with more than 100 criminal counts filed against him when he lived in North Carolina, and he has a felony conviction for possession of stolen property. He is also known to have made political donations to Democrat campaigns.

“What this case shows is that someone with evil intentions will find a way to get his hands on a firearm,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “Reports that the serial number of the rifle recovered by police had been filed off indicate the suspect knew what he was doing.

“We know from various reports this man appears to have violated several existing gun control laws,” he added.

“Just as important,” Gottlieb continued, “is that this case also reinforces the notion that our criminal justice system, rather than the country’s gun control laws, is what needs to be reformed. With this guy’s reported criminal history, he should not have had a firearm. But guess what? Gun laws have never stopped someone determined to commit mayhem.”

Gottlieb is pleased that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has promised an investigation by authorities in the Sunshine State, which could yield more valuable information about the suspect, and how he was able to get so close to the former president.

“This sort of thing should never happen even once,” Gottlieb observed. “But now it has happened to Donald Trump twice.

Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (www.ccrkba.org) is one of the nation’s premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States.