We're now learning more about Routh's previous criminal history, from 1997 until 2010, including numerous charges for stolen goods.

There was a tip made to the FBI in 2019 stating Routh had a weapon, the FBI's Jeffrey Veltri says.

He says the FBI passed that information to local enforcement in Honolulu.

Veltri, of the FBI, is now addressing reports that Routh spent time in Ukraine allegedly recruiting soldiers from Afghanistan to fight against Russia.

"We're going through media reports and public statements [Routh] made that he wanted to recruit Afghan soldiers and others to fight for Ukraine," Veltri says.

"The FBI has sent multiple requests to companies for returns on the subject's phone and social media accounts."

Cellular data shows Ryan Routh, the suspected gunman, was in the vicinity of Donald Trump's golf course for about 12 hours before he was spotted by Secret Service.

Investigators are canvassing local CCTV to find footage of him in the area.

The FBI says it has also recovered DNA from items found at the scene, including what appears to be "ceramic tiles", a gun and other items.

Providing additional details about the investigation, FBI special agent Veltri says investigators are "actively working hand in hand to pursue and subsequently execute search warrants".

So far those include a video recording device, cellular devices, a vehicle and other electronic devices, he says.

Veltri also says that "numerous interviews" are being conducted, including eyewitnesses in Florida and the suspect's friends and family in Hawaii.

Next up is Jeffrey Veltri, an FBI special agent in charge of the Miami field office, who says investigators "view this as extremely serious, and are determined to provide answers as to what led up to the events which took place".

The suspect, after being arrested, "invoked his right to an attorney" when agents attempted to interview him, Veltri says.

• For context: Here's our latest take on everything we've learnt today - including details of the alleged assassination attempt.

Lapointe, the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, is speaking now.

He says Ryan Routh, the suspected gunman in this case, has been charged federally for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and for receipt of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

These are the charges we heard earlier when Routh appeared at a Palm Beach courthouse.

"He had his initial appearance today before" the judge, Lapointe says.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw begins the news conference, standing alongside US attorney Markenzy Lapointe, and representatives from the FBI.

The security level at Mar-a-Lago - Donald Trump's Florida residence - is at "the highest it could possibly be now," the sheriff tells those gathered.

Secret Service agents have blocked off the road to Trump's golf course, he adds, and officials expect that to be the situation for the rest of the day.

The FBI, Secret Service and the local sheriff are now updating us after the apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump at the weekend.

You'll be able to watch the news conference by hitting the Watch live button at the top of this page. We'll also bring you the key lines right here, so stay with us.

The Biden administration is seeking to boost funding for the US Secret Service - before it has "insufficient resources to sustain and enhance protective operations".

Multiple sources tell CBS News - the BBC's US partner - that a so-called "anomaly" request has been submitted to congressional committees to increase spending on the service in the coming weeks.

If granted, the agency "would sustain operations and address additional protective and campaign travel, operations, and overtime costs as they arise," the sources say.

It comes after acting Secret Service director Ronald Rowe wrote to a Senate subcommittee last week, asking for more resources to complete its mission, saying "increased mission requirements of the Secret Service necessitate additional resources".

Watch: BBC Verify analyse how Trump neared gun at golf coursepublished at 20:47 British Summer Time 16 September

20:47 BST 16 September

Analysis of maps depicting Donald Trump's Florida golf course show how the former president came within 500 yards of a rifle allegedly seen in bushes near the sixth hole.

Ryan Routh, 58, was earlier charged with federal gun crimes and the FBI are due to give an update on the alleged assassination attempt in a short while.

Watch the BBC's Ros Atkins unpick some of the key details here:

Mike Wendling
US reporter

I’ve just been in touch with a volunteer for the Ukrainian International Legion who interacted with the suspect in the apparent assassination attempt on Trump, Ryan Routh.

She describes him as a chaotic presence in Ukraine who kept trying to "sneak around" officials and was "doing more harm than good". At one point she warned him to stop his work in the country.

"He was not part of any unit and his activities were essentially causing chaos," she told me via WhatsApp.

"He was also trying to pose as some sort of official entity for all volunteers, which, again, he was not," she said.

The volunteer, who asked to remain anonymous because of security concerns, said that Routh was in Ukraine in April 2022.

In a self-published book released the following year, Routh himself said that he spent five months in the country and expressed frustration at Ukrainian authorities and at ordinary Ukrainians.

A picture is emerging of a man who was passionate about the Ukrainian cause but who was of little use to the overall war effort.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis says on X (formerly Twitter) that he will introduce legislation to ensure both presidential nominees receive the same level of Secret Service protection as a sitting US president.

"Congress can and must provide the resources to ensure the safety of President Trump, Vice President Harris, and all future nominees," he says.

• You can read more about Trump’s security here

Ryan Routh, the suspect in the alleged assassination attempt of Donald Trump, made his first court appearance today. Here’s what we learned:

To recap, Trump was golfing at his Florida club on Sunday when a Secret Service agent saw a rifle barrel in bushes and engaged the suspect. Ryan Wesley Routh was apprehended a short time later.

In court, Routh’s hearing lasted less than 10 minutes. He smiled and even laughed at times.

Routh faces two charges: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obstructed serial number. More charges could still be filed.

Other details:

• Phone records show Routh was in the wooded area near Trump’s golf course for about 12 hours
• An SKS-style rifle found at the scene had not been fired
• The car Routh drove had a licence plate registered to another stolen vehicle

Another hearing is set for next Monday.

There are also growing calls for more protection for presidential candidates.

Let's look at the language Trump has used after apparent assassination attemptpublished at 19:27 British Summer Time 16 September

19:27 BST 16 September

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The day after the apparent assassination attempt in Florida, Donald Trump has taken to social media and pointed the finger directly at his Democratic opponents.

“Because of the communist left rhetoric,” he wrote, “the bullets are flying and it will only get worse!”

In comments earlier that day, he explicitly blamed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, who he went on to say was an “enemy within” who was destroying the country.

Those remarks represent a marked shift from the president’s more reflective attitude after his near-miss with an assassin’s bullet two months ago, on the eve of the Republican National Convention.

Back then, the former president was leading in the polls and Democrats were in turmoil. Now, the race has tightened considerably and the pressure of the home stretch to election day is building.

In his comments Monday, Trump has tried to link this latest incident to the threat he says undocumented migration poses to the nation. It is an unfounded connection, but one that would allow him to turn the political conversation toward a topic where his views have popular support.

If the foiled attempt has put Trump in the spotlight this week, he seems intent on using it to his political advantage.

Over in Philadelphia, Joe Biden is delivering a speech at the annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Week Conference.

At the top of his remarks, the current president pays tribute to the Secret Service for its "handling" of the apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump at the weekend - saying agents kept the former president safe.

"Let me just say, there is no... no place for political violence in America," he says to applause. "None, zero, never."

"In America we resolve our differences peacefully at the ballot box, not at the barrel of a gun."

He adds that Americans have "suffered too many times at the tragedy of an assassin's bullet", telling attendees "it solves nothing".

The US attorney general has released a statement on the apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

In a statement, Merrick Garland says:

“The FBI is continuing to investigate what appears to be an assassination attempt of former President Trump that occurred yesterday in Florida. We are grateful that the former president is safe."

Garland adds that the "entire Justice Department, including the FBI, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and the National Security Division is coordinating closely with our law enforcement partners on the ground.

Image source, EPA

Steve Witkoff, who was golfing with Donald Trump at the time of the apparent attempted assassination on Sunday, says he will never forget that day.

He described the former president as his "very close friend" who put the safety of others before his own.

In a post on X, Witkoff - a real estate investor - says he watched Trump "be his typical strong, courageous and stoic self, concerned about his friends first before thinking of himself".

Witkoff thanked Trump's security detail for their "immediate action and interdiction which clearly prevented a much more terrible result".

He finished by saying he has now "personally witnessed [Trump's] courage under fire and that is a man who inspires me".

We've got more details to bring you from the court documents we just obtained.

The filings state that after police stopped Ryan Routh's vehicle, he was asked if he knew why he was being pulled over.

"He responded in the affirmative," court documents show.

Court documents also state that Routh has two prior felony convictions.

In December 2002, he was convicted in Greensboro, North Carolina, for possession of a weapon of mass death and destruction. That weapon was a fully automatic machine gun, according to media reports from the time.

And in March 2010, he was convicted in North Carolina of multiple counts of possession of stolen goods.

The Martin County Sheriff's Office in Florida has released video on social media of the moment suspected gunman Ryan Routh was arrested.

Police body cam footage posted to the sheriff's office's Facebook page shows armed officers shouting to the suspect to walk backwards and to take two steps to his right, with his hands above his head. They then approach him, pull his hands behind his back and arrest him.

The office also released a photo, below, of Routh standing with officers moments after his arrest.

Image source, Martin County Sheriff's Office