Will County Gazette

James Marter, a candidate for Illinois' 14th Congressional District, expressed his gratitude following an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. In a Facebook post dated September 15, Marter said, "The radical leftists will stop at nothing."

"I'm Thankful President TRUMP survived yet another assassination attempt," said Marter, according to Facebook. "The radical leftists will stop at nothing. The LEFT is unhinged."

The FBI is investigating the apparent assassination attempt that occurred at Trump's West Palm Beach, Florida golf course on September 15, 2024. According to the Associated Press, Secret Service agents noticed an AK-47-style rifle poking out of the shrubs approximately 400 yards away from where Trump was playing. An agent fired at the suspect, who then dropped his rifle and left behind multiple backpacks, a scope, and a GoPro camera. The suspect was later arrested in a neighboring county, and Trump returned to Mar-a-Lago after the incident.

Screenshot of James Marter For Congress' Sept. 15 Facebook post | James Marter for Congress Facebook page

The suspect has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58. NBC News reports that Routh has been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Ronald Rowe, acting director of the Secret Service, said that Trump was moving through the fifth fairway around 1:30 p.m. when the Secret Service agent discovered and fired at Routh. Trump was not in Routh’s line of sight.

CNN reports that Trump praised a civilian who spotted and reported Routh as he tried to flee the scene. Law enforcement used the civilian's flag to locate Routh’s vehicle as he drove north in Marin County.
"The civilian did a phenomenal job. How many people would have the brainpower to follow him [in] the back of his truck? … And the key was the license. So they got the license, and after they had the license, you know, there’s all sorts of technology where they can literally pinpoint where this truck is," said Trump in a livestreamed conversation on X.

Marter is an experienced IT professional with over thirty years in the information technology and services industry. His LinkedIn profile reveals that he has held key roles in business process design, quality management, IT strategy, and SAP ERP. He currently serves as an SAP QM Platinum Consultant at QMS Inc., demonstrating expertise in business process improvement and product quality. Marter is also CEO of Marter Enterprises LLC.