FBI's Ryan Routh tip in Trump assassination attempt highlights the challenge of vetting demand, says former agent.

The FBI received a tip about Ryan Routh, the suspected gunman in the second attempt to assassinate former President Trump, in 2019.

On Sunday, a Secret Service agent assigned to protect Trump opened fire after detecting a gun barrel protruding through the fence of Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida.

A witness spotted Ryan Routh, 58, and took note of his license plate number after he fled to his vehicle. Police later stopped Routh in a neighboring county and he is now being held on federal gun charges.

In a Monday press release, Jeffrey Veltri, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Miami field office, stated that a tipster claimed Routh was a felon in possession of a firearm in 2019.

"The alleged complainant was interviewed but did not verify the initial information, according to Veltri. The FBI then passed the information to local law enforcement in Honolulu."

During the years 1980 to 2010, Routh had over a hundred encounters with law enforcement, accumulating charges that ranged from writing bad checks to felony firearms possession, possession of a stolen vehicle, and multiple counts of possessing a weapon of mass destruction.

The FBI receives about 1,300 tips per day, according to the agency.

The FBI's National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) receives thousands of phone calls and electronic tips daily from the public at its facility in Clarksburg, West Virginia, regarding various types of criminal activity, including terrorism, cyber-crime, theft, public corruption, and violent crime. Threat intake examiners quickly evaluate each lead to determine the best course of action, as stated by the FBI.

"The highest priority for tips is those that pose a threat to life, serious bodily injury, or significant violent action. This information is then sent to the appropriate FBI field office, state/local law enforcement, tribal law enforcement, or other federal agencies and partners. Any investigative action required as a result of the phone call or tip is conducted by the applicable FBI field office or other appropriate law enforcement entity."

According to Scott Duffey, a former FBI Supervisory Special Agent, many tips do not result in an interview when a supervisor determines "there is no action to be taken."

Duffey stated that since the Parkland High School shooting in 2018, all calls made to the FBI regarding a potential threat to a school are followed up on, except for judgment calls.

"The FBI tips center receives the tip first, followed by the local FBI office. They will conduct their own threat assessment. A violation of law or potential violation of law was the reason for the follow-up," Duffey stated.

An FBI analyst then receives the information and says, "Let's analyze that individual to see if we have any prior knowledge about them." He emphasizes the extensive analysis that will be conducted.

If there isn't probable cause for an arrest, field agents can't visit the subject of a tip, even if the threat level is high, according to Duffey.

"If the individual is not a threat to themselves, the community, or the FBI agent and has not provided any incriminating information, the FBI agent can record the information from the tip and store it in a file. This information will remain in the FBI's file forever. The FBI can then share or forward this information to local police and ask if they have any additional information that could be helpful."