Son of Ryan Routh, accused in Trump assassination attempt, arrested for child pornography
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(GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C.) — The son of Ryan Routh, the man arrested in connection with the second apparent assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump, has been taken into custody on federal charges of possessing child pornography.
Investigators say they discovered “hundreds” of files with child pornography during a search of Oran Routh’s residence in Guilford County, North Carolina, on Saturday conducted “in connection with an investigation unrelated to child exploitation.”
The two charges he faces include receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
The “unrelated investigation” referred to Routh’s father — who remains in custody after a judge ordered him detained pending trial Monday — a spokesperson with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Carolina confirmed to ABC News.
Investigators said the pornography was found on a Samsung Galaxy Note device located inside Oran Routh’s primary bedroom in the residence, as well as another Galaxy Note device in Routh’s possession.
“A review of the SD card located in Device-1 revealed that it contained hundreds of child pornography files,” prosecutors wrote in the criminal complaint. “These files include videos from a known child pornography series created outside the state of North Carolina.”
The complaint included graphic descriptions of the videos and a chat from July in which Oran Routh allegedly responded to someone advertising the content for sale.
Oran Routh will make an initial appearance in North Carolina federal court later Tuesday.
He does not yet have an attorney listed for him.
His father, Ryan Routh, 58, has been charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number for the incident that took place at Trump International Golf Club on Sept. 15. Prosecutors said Monday they intend to ask a grand jury to consider a charge that Ryan Routh attempted to assassinate Trump.
(ASHE COUNTY, N.C.) — The sheriff’s office in Rutherford County, NC, announced Monday that they’d arrested a man and charged him with allegedly threatening to harm Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workers in the area.
William Parsons, 44, of Bostic, NC, was charged with “going armed to the terror of the public,” according to a statement from the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office provided to ABC News.
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office statement said deputies on Saturday investigated reports in the vicinity of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock that a “white male had an assault rifle and made the comment about possibly harming FEMA employees” working in the area. Witnesses were able to provide enough information for law enforcement to ultimately locate and identify Parsons, who was armed with a handgun and a rifle, according to the statement.
Parsons was released Saturday after posting $10,000 bond, according to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office.
“The initial report stated there was a truckload of militia that was involved. However, after further investigation, it was determined Parsons acted alone and there were no truckloads of militia going to Lake Lure,” the statement said.
According to SITE Intelligence, which tracks the online activity of extremist organizations, Parsons has promoted the militia group the Three Percenters online.
News of the arrest came one day after the sheriff in Ashe County, NC, about two hours to the north of Rutherford County, said that there had been threats against FEMA employees responding to Hurricane Helene.
“Recently in the mountain region, there have been threats made against them,” Ashe County Sheriff Phil Howell posted on Facebook regarding the alleged threats against FEMA employees.
“This has not happened in Ashe County or the surrounding counties,” Howell added. “Out of an abundance of caution, they have paused their process as they are assessing the threats.”
Sheriff Howell did not specify in his post who allegedly made the threats, nor is it known if Parsons’ alleged threat is the one to which Sheriff Howell was referring. An ABC News request for comment sent to the Ashe County Sheriff’s Office did not receive an immediate response.
Threats to FEMA employees have been consistent during the Hurricane response, along with misinformation, federal authorities told ABC News.
Search and rescue efforts in the affected areas continue, a federal source told ABC News. However, while FEMA assesses potential threat information, disaster survivor assistance teams are currently working at fixed locations and secure areas instead of going door to door, out of an abundance of caution, the source said, adding that FEMA will monitor threat information and make adjustments to this posture on a regular basis in coordination with local officials.
A FEMA spokesperson told ABC News that the agency continues to support communities impacted by Helene and to help survivors apply for assistance.
“For the safety of our dedicated staff and the disaster survivors we are helping, FEMA has made some operational adjustments,” the spokesperson said. “Disaster Recovery Centers will continue to be open as scheduled, survivors continue to register for assistance, and we continue to help the people of North Carolina with their recovery.”
At the direction of North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, the state’s Department of Public Safety will assist FEMA conduct their operations.
“We know that significant misinformation online contributes to threats against response workers on the ground, and the safety of responders must be a priority,” the governor said. “At my direction, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety is helping partners like FEMA to coordinate with law enforcement to ensure their safety and security as they continue their important work.”
Sheriff Howell said that FEMA locations in Ashe County are open this week.
“Stay calm and steady during our recovery, help folks and please don’t stir the pot,” he said.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told ABC News Friday during a press briefing that threats to FEMA employees are a “shame” and a “distraction.”
“We continuously monitor the social media, channels, other outlets where we’re seeing this information, because we want to make sure we’re providing for the safest environment for our employees, and making sure that they know that their safety is first and foremost for us as they go out into these communities,” Criswell said in response to a question from ABC News.
FEMA hires people from local communities when disaster hits, Criswell said, noting that “many” leave their families behind to go and help communities who are impacted by disaster.
(WINDER, Ga.) — State investigators are revealing new details surrounding the gun a 14-year-old boy allegedly used to kill two teachers and two students at his Georgia high school.
Colt Gray allegedly brought the AR-15-style rifle used in last week’s shooting — a Christmas present from his dad, according to sources — to school on his own, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Thursday. The long gun “could not be broken down,” so the teen hid it in his backpack, the GBI said.
The morning of the shooting, Gray asked his teacher for permission to go to the front office and speak with an unidentified person, the GBI said. The teacher allowed him to leave and take his belongings with him, the GBI said.
The 14-year-old then went to the bathroom and hid from teachers, and later allegedly took out the rifle and started shooting, according to the GBI.
Colt Gray is accused of killing four people and injuring nine others at Apalachee High School on Sept. 4.
Seven of the nine people who were wounded suffered gunshot wounds, the GBI clarified on Thursday.
Colt Gray is charged with four counts of felony murder. More charges will be filed, prosecutors said.
The teen’s father, Colin Gray, is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of cruelty to children, the GBI said. He is accused of knowingly allowing his son to possess the weapon used in the shooting, according to the GBI.
Investigators believe Colt Gray received the AR-style gun used in the shooting as a Christmas present from his father, according to sources.
Colt Gray and Colin Gray both made their first court appearances on Friday. Neither has entered a plea and both are set to return to court on Dec. 4.
An F-16 Fighting Falcon, assigned to the 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, flies over the Joint Pacific-Alaska Range Complex, Alaska, during exercise Red Flag-Alaska 24-1, April 26, 2024. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Julia Lebens, FILE)
(WASHINGTON) — A Russian fighter jet crossed the path of an American F-16 last week coming within 50 feet of the nose of the American jet, said North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which said the Russian pilot’s action “endangered all.”
NORAD released dramatic video on Monday that showed just how close the Russian fighter flew ahead of the American aircraft at a high rate of speed.
The close encounter occurred on Sept. 23 during a flurry of activity by Russian aircraft that over the span of several days had flown through the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) off of Alaska. The Alaska ADIZ is international airspace that stretches 150 miles from the Alaska coastline, but the U.S. requires that any aircraft transiting through it must identify themselves or be intercepted by NORAD aircraft.
On that day, two U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets were sent to intercept two Russian Tu-95 bombers and the two Su-35 fighter jets that were escorting them.
The video released by NORAD was taken from a camera mounted in the canopy of the F-16 aircraft providing a view of what the pilot was seeing as the fighter flew near one of the Russian bombers.
Suddenly one of the Russian jets entered the field of view at a high rate of speed coming at what NORAD said was within 50 feet of the American plane’s nose rolling to one side as it flew past.
The video then showed the F-16’s nose wobbling from left to right, either as the American fighter pilot flew through the Russian aircraft’s wake or the pilot maintained control of the aircraft after the close encounter.
“The conduct of one Russian Su-35 was unsafe, unprofessional, and endangered all – not what you’d see in a professional air force,” said Gen. Gregory Guillot, NORAD’s top commander, in a comment posted on X.
A NORAD statement about the intercept that day did not provide any indication that NORAD aircraft had intercepted the Russian planes only detailing that it had “detected and tracked four Russian military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).”
“The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace,” said the release. “This Russian activity in the Alaska ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat.”
The close encounter capped two weeks of incidents where NORAD said it had detected and tracked the aircraft as they flew through the ADIZ.
