Attorney General Merrick B. Garland addressed the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina on September 25, 2024. He began by acknowledging a significant development: the Justice Department secured a federal indictment against Ryan Routh for attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
“These new charges returned by the grand jury build on the firearms felony charges we filed last week, which permitted the defendant’s arrest and detention as our investigation continued,” Garland stated.
Garland detailed evidence supporting the charge, including a handwritten list from Routh’s car cataloging Trump’s appearances, a letter admitting an assassination attempt, and cell site records placing Routh near Trump’s locations in the weeks before the attempt.
“This investigation is still in its early stages and remains active and ongoing,” Garland noted. “The allegations we make in our filings are just that until we prove them in court beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Garland emphasized that this was the second assassination attempt against Trump in three months, calling such violence "abhorrent" and dangerous to public officials and democracy.
“The Justice Department will not tolerate violence that strikes at the heart of our democracy,” he asserted.
Shifting focus, Garland praised local law enforcement partners for their work in reducing violent crime. He cited statistics showing a decrease in South Carolina's violent crime rate by 5.8% from 2022 to 2023, including a 5.9% drop in murder rates.
“Three-and-a-half years ago, the Justice Department launched an ambitious strategy to combat violent crime,” he said. “Today, we are seeing results.”
Garland highlighted several successful operations combating drug trafficking and gun violence within South Carolina. These included securing guilty pleas from methamphetamine traffickers, prison sentences for fentanyl-related crimes, and disrupting international gun trafficking schemes.
In addition to prosecutorial efforts, Garland announced $3 million in funding through the National Criminal History Improvement Program as part of over $36 million awarded this month to support law enforcement activities and community initiatives in South Carolina.
“These funds will help law enforcement agencies hire more officers, prevent and combat violent crime and drug trafficking, and improve services for survivors of various crimes,” he explained.
Concluding his remarks, Garland expressed pride in the public servants of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and their partnerships with local agencies.
“I look forward to our meeting,” he concluded.