Jury selection continues in case of man who allegedly tried to kill Trump on golf course
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(FORT PIERCE, Fla.) — The notoriety surrounding the man who is accused of trying to kill Donald Trump on his golf course last year is affecting efforts to pick a jury in his criminal case.
One hundred and twenty potential jurors are in federal court in Fort Pierce, Florida, Tuesday for the second day of jury selection in the criminal trial of Ryan Routh, who is representing himself despite not being a lawyer and having limited legal experience.
At least one potential juror told U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon that she could not be fair because of her affinity for Trump and her preexisting knowledge of the case.
“I am MAGA,” said the juror, who recalled seeing the news of the attempted assassination. “I feel it would be very hard to sway how I feel.”
The juror, an older woman who works in the insurance industry, is all but guaranteed to be removed from the pool of prospective jurors as each side questions the prospects to determine their fitness to serve.
As of Tuesday morning, 21 prospective jurors had signaled that they have scheduling issues or financial concerns that would merit their removal from consideration.
Judge Cannon — who oversaw and dismissed one of Trump’s criminal cases — said she hopes to have a jury finalized by Wednesday afternoon, with the trial expected to take approximately three weeks.
The jury selection process so far has gone slowly, with Routh requesting to ask potential jurors questions that Cannon deemed “politically charged” and irrelevant.
Among the questions Judge Cannon has barred Routh from asking are those involving jurors’ stance on Palestine, their opinion of Trump’s proposed acquisition of Greenland, and what they would do if they were driving and they saw a turtle in the middle of the road — which Routh said could speak to jurors’ character and mindset.
After a full day of jury selection on Monday, prosecutors successfully challenged twenty potential jurors due to concerns that they could not judge the case fairly, with Routh agreeing to all but one of the removals. Routh signaled he plans to challenge seven of the jurors.
Prosecutors allege that after planning his attack for months, Routh hid in the bushes of Trump’s Palm Beach golf course with a rifle in the predawn hours of Sept. 15.
With Trump just one hole away from Routh’s position, a Secret Service agent spotted a rifle poking out of the tree line and fired at him, causing him to flee, according to prosecutors. Routh was subsequently arrested after being stopped on a nearby interstate.
Routh has pleaded not guilty to five criminal charges that risk sending him to prison for life, including attempting to kill a presidential candidate and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Law enforcement on the scene after two people were shot and killed in Simi Valley, Calif., Dec. 1, 2025. KABC.
(SIMI VALLEY, Calif.) — A California doctor and his wife were shot and killed in their Simi Valley home in a targeted attack, not a random incident, according to police.
Dr. Eric Cordes and wife, Vicki, were shot multiple times in their open garage on Sunday. The couple was taken to a local hospital and later died of their injuries, the Simi Valley Police Department told ABC News.
Simi Valley Police said they’re actively investigating the murders and they believe there is no threat to the community.
Police would not reveal any information on possible suspects or the motive for the attack.
Dr. Cordes worked with Focus Medical Imaging for several years before his killing, the radiology clinic told ABC News.”
Dr. Eric Cordes was a brilliant, hard working doctor, and a respected colleague. He served the Simi Valley community and surrounding areas throughout his entire 30 plus year career. His tragic passing will leave a huge hole that will take a long time to fill,” Focus Medical Imaging said.
Adventist Health Simi Valley, where he also worked, called the couple’s killing a “shocking loss.”
“The Adventist Health Simi Valley community is heartbroken by the tragic deaths of our longtime colleague, Dr. Eric Cordes, and his wife, Vicki. Dr. Cordes was a highly respected, board-certified radiologist and beloved physician who served this community with compassion and excellence for nearly 30 years,” the hospital told ABC News in a statement.
(SALT LAKE CITY) — The FBI has released images of a person of interest sought in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth activist organization Turning Point USA, during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
“We are asking for the public’s help identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University,” the FBI’s Salt Lake City office said on X on Thursday while sharing two images of the individual, who is wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses and was captured in a stairwell in one of them.
The FBI said it is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person responsible for Kirk’s murder.
The manhunt for the suspect, who is believed to be college-aged, continues, with officials working “around the clock” to locate the individual, officials said during a press conference on Thursday.
The FBI also said Thursday it has recovered what is believed to be the weapon used in the deadly shooting. A “high-powered bolt action rifle,” which officials believe was the weapon used in the shooting, was recovered in a wooded area near where the shooting took place, according to Salt Lake City FBI Special Agent Robert Bohls.
The rifle is an older model imported Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt action rifle wrapped in a towel, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News. The location of the firearm appears to match the suspect’s route of travel, the sources said.
The spent cartridge was still chambered and three unspent cartridges contained wording on them expressing what some law enforcement officials described as “transgender and anti-fascist” writing, according to preliminary information shared with agencies. It’s unclear what that means and authorities are still working to determine the meaning.
The firearm and ammunition have been taken by the FBI for DNA analysis and fingerprint impressions. Upon completion of forensics, the firearm will be disassembled for additional importer information.
Tracking the shooter’s movements
Officials said they have been able to track the movements of the shooter and have “good” video footage of the individual, Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said on Thursday. The video footage will not be released to the public at this time, Mason said.
At 11:52 a.m. on Wednesday, the suspect arrived on the Orem campus and then proceeded to travel through the stairwells up to the roof of a building near the where the outdoors event was taking place, before the suspect fired down at Kirk, Mason said.
Kirk was hit by a single shot at approximately 12:20 p.m. and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
After the shooting, the suspect traveled to the other side of building, jumped off and fled off-campus into a neighborhood, Mason said. Officials are working through nearby neighborhoods, contacting people with doorbell cameras and speaking to witnesses to identify any leads, Mason said.
Along with recovering the weapon, Bohls said investigators have also collected a footwear impression, palm print and forearm imprints for analysis.
Officials emphasized the shooting was a “targeted” attack and they are “exhausting every lead.”
“We will not stand for what happened yesterday,” Mason said. “We are investing everything we have into this and we will catch this individual.”
The FBI asked for tips from the public as the manhunt for the perpetrator continues, urging anyone with information, photos or video from the incident to share it with investigators.
Trump blames political rhetoric
As the search for the suspect continued, President Donald Trump and prominent MAGA personalities sought to tie the killing to Democratic political rhetoric.
In a video posted to social media on Wednesday, Trump said, “It’s a long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree.”
“For years, those on the radical Left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals,” he added. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.”
Trump’s son Eric, meanwhile, told Fox News’ Sean Hannity he was “sick and tired of seeing the bullets — they are only going one way.”
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox got emotional Wednesday as he delivered a message mentioning recent attacks on both Democrats and Republicans.
“Our nation is broken,” Cox said. “We’ve had political assassinations recently in Minnesota. We had an attempted assassination on the governor of Pennsylvania. And we had an attempted assassination on a presidential candidate and former president of the United States — and now current president of the United States. Nothing I say can unite us as a country. Nothing I can say right now can fix what is broken. Nothing I can say can bring back Charlie Kirk. Our hearts are broken.”
Controversial campus visit
Kirk — a 31-year-old father of two — was considered a confidant of Trump and highly influential in the conservative youth movement.
He founded the conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA in 2012 at the age of 18, and in the 2024 elections was credited with building significant support for Trump among young voters.
The Utah event was expected to include a “prove me wrong” table, according to the tour’s website.
Ahead of the conservative political activist’s visit to Utah Valley University, some students started an online petition asking university administrators to stop him from coming.
Though Kirk’s visit was controversial on campus, police were tracking no specific or credible threats before the fatal shooting, Utah law enforcement sources told ABC News.
More than 3,000 people were estimated to be at the event, according to the university’s police chief, Jeff Long. There were six police officers, along with Kirk’s private security, according to Long.
UVU will be closed until Sept. 14, according to a notice posted on the university’s website.
One suspect sought
There is no evidence that anyone else was involved, according to authorities.
The Utah Department of Public of Safety said in an update Wednesday night that two people were initially taken into custody after the shooting but later released.
The first was released and later charged with obstruction by university police. The second person was taken into custody and released after an “interrogation” by law enforcement, the department said.
Utah authorities said “there are no current ties to the shooting with either of these individuals.”
Tributes from both parties
Trump was among those who paid tribute to Kirk.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump said on social media. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
“It’s horrific. It’s one of the most horrible things I’ve ever seen,” Trump told ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl.
“He was a great guy,” Trump said. “He was a good man. He was an incredible guy. Nobody like him.”
Trump ordered all American flags throughout the country to be lowered to half-staff through Sunday evening in Kirk’s honor. On Thursday, he also announced he will posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, saying he was a “giant of his generation.”
Cox called the fatal shooting a “political assassination.”
“Those responsible will be held fully accountable. Violence has no place in our public life. Americans of every political persuasion must unite in condemning this act,” he said on X following the attack.
Vice President JD Vance called Kirk “a genuinely good guy and a young father” while urging prayers in the aftermath of the shooting.
Condemnation came from both sides of the political spectrum.
“There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now,” Former President Joe Biden said. “Jill and I are praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones.”
“The attack on Charlie Kirk is horrifying and this growing type of unconscionable violence cannot be allowed in our society,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said on X.
Fellow Democratic governor, California’s Gavin Newsom, said on X that the “attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.”
ABC News’ Aaron Katersky, Luke Barr, Josh Margolin, Ivan Pereira, Lalee Ibssa, Isabella Murray, Katherine Faulders, Jack Date, Chris Looft and Helena Skinner contributed to this report.
Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Parents faced steeper prices for back-to-school shopping this year, with costs rising 7.3% amid tariffs, according to a new Century Foundation report.
The price hikes affected everything from basic supplies to electronics, with some items seeing dramatic increases. Index cards jumped 42%, while three-ring binders cost nearly 13% more than last year, ABC News business correspondent Alexis Christoforous reported.
“Parents are facing price increases across a number of categories when it comes to school supplies,” Dr. Sarah Dickerson, a research economist at UNC Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School, told ABC11. “If we look at pencils, for instance, we know the wooden pencils are imported from Brazil. We are anticipating price hikes there.”
According to Capital One Shopping research, Americans spent $125.4 billion on back-to-school and college shopping in 2024, with the average household budgeting $874.68 for school supplies. For one K-12 student, parents spent an average of $586 on supplies.
However, experts say there are ways to manage these rising costs. Christoforous recommended buying in bulk during sales to save money throughout the year, especially for basic supplies like pencils and pens.
She also suggested choosing generic brands over name brands, noting that some generic pencils cost as little as a dollar compared to $5 for well-known brands.
For parents looking to stretch their budgets further, Christoforous highlighted the benefits of thrift shopping for school supplies, where shoppers can often find unexpected deals.
When it comes to expensive electronics, she advised looking for refurbished laptops and tablets that come with warranties from major retailers. Additionally, she urged parents to take advantage of tax-free shopping periods, which many states offer during the back-to-school season.
As of 2025, 18 states offered tax-free shopping periods, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators. Some states, like Florida, extended these savings throughout August, while others limited them to specific weekends.
“A lot of the big retailers sell refurbished electronics with warranties,” Christoforous said, noting that electronics were particularly affected by tariffs due to overseas manufacturing and imported components.
For budget-conscious parents, Christoforous also suggested meal planning as a cost-saving measure.
“When you make dinner, make extra,” she advised. “That way you have leftovers and you’re not scrambling every day, going ‘What’s going to be for lunch?'”
Despite these challenges, Capital One Shopping research showed that household back-to-school budgets decreased by $15.39 or 1.73% compared to the previous year, suggesting that many families found ways to adapt to the higher prices.
