Armed man shot and killed after entering Mar-a-Lago secure perimeter, Secret Service says
An armed man was shot and killed Sunday morning after he entered the secure perimeter of President Trump’s private Florida residence and resort, Mar-a-Lago, and was confronted by U.S. Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy.
The man killed was identified by investigators as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, from North Carolina, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation. Martin had been reported missing by his family a few days prior.
Trump, who on Saturday night hosted the annual Governors Dinner at the White House, was not at Mar-a-Lago at the time of the incident.
According to the Secret Service, law enforcement officers spotted a male in his early 20s armed with a shotgun and a fuel can by the north gate of Trump’s residence in Palm Beach, Fla., around 1:30 a.m.
When a deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and two Secret Service agents went to investigate, they ordered him to drop the items, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric L. Bradshaw said during a news conference Sunday morning.
“He put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw said. “At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat.”
The man was declared dead at the scene. Rafael Barrows, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Miami field office, said no law enforcement agents were harmed in the incident.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation.
Brett Skiles, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Miami field office, said the Evidence Response Team is processing the scene and collecting evidence. He asked residents who live in the vicinity to check their exterior cameras and contact the FBI or the West Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office if they spotted anything that looks suspicious or out of place.
The officers involved were wearing body cameras, Bradshaw said.
Asked whether the man was known to law enforcement before the incident, Bradshaw said, “Not right now.”
The Secret Service said in a statement that it’s looking into the deceased man’s background and motive. The agents involved in the incident will be placed on routine administrative leave during the investigation “in accordance with agency policy.”
The incident comes amid a wave of political violence against politicians across the country.
Several recent incidents have targeted Trump. In July 2024, Trump survived an assassination attempt during an outdoor campaign rally in Butler, Pa. A few months later, a man with a rifle was arrested by Secret Service agents after being spotted hiding amid shrubs near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course.
Trump did not comment publicly on the incident on Sunday morning. After 11 a.m. Eastern, the President posted a stream of comments on Truth Social about the U.S. men’s hockey team’s win at the Winter Olympics.
“Congratulations to our great U.S.A. Ice Hockey team,” Trump said. “THEY WON THE GOLD. WOW!”
A few minutes later, Trump posted: “WHAT A GAME” and “LOTS OF WINNING!!!”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, meanwhile, praised the Secret Service for its speedy work.
“In the middle of the night while most Americans were asleep, the United States Secret Service acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person, armed with a gun and a gas canister, who intruded President Trump’s home,” Leavitt said in a statement on X. “Federal law enforcement are working 24/7 to keep our country safe and protect all Americans.”
FBI director Kash Patel said in a short statement that the agency is dedicating “all necessary resources” to the investigation and will continue working closely with the Secret Service and state and federal partners.
