Get you up to speed: Armed individual shot dead after breaching Mar-a-Lago’s perimeter
A man, identified as Austin Tucker Martin, was shot dead by Secret Service agents after unlawfully entering Donald Trump‘s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The incident occurred around 1:30 AM local time, as Martin was found near the north gate of the property.
Austin Tucker Martin, 21, was shot dead by Secret Service agents. Rick Bradshaw, the sheriff of Palm Beach County, stated that Martin raised a shotgun after being confronted, prompting agents to “neutralize the threat.”
The FBI is currently seeking assistance from residents near Mar-a-Lago to review security camera footage that may aid their investigation into the incident involving Austin Tucker Martin. Authorities are working to compile a psychological profile of the suspect, with the motive still under investigation.
What we know so far
Armed man shot and killed after entering perimeter of Mar-a-Lago | US News
A man has been shot dead by Secret Service agents after trying to unlawfully enter Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, authorities in the US have said.
The man was seen by the north gate of the Florida property at around 1.30am local time (6.30am GMT time) on Sunday. He was carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can, officials added.
US media have identified the suspect as Austin Tucker Martin – a 21-year-old who was reported missing by his family a few days ago.
Image: Austin Tucker Martin has been identified as the suspect
Rick Bradshaw, the sheriff of Palm Beach County, said the man made it into Mar-a-Lago’s inner perimeter. He is believed to have driven through the north gate of the estate as another vehicle was exiting.
The man raised his shotgun to a shooting position after being confronted by a deputy and two Secret Service agents, who then “fired their weapons and neutralised the threat”, the sheriff added.
Image: Authorities said the man was carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can. Pic: AP
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the suspect was in his early 20s and from North Carolina.
According to Mr Guglielmi, investigators believe he left North Carolina and headed south, picking up a shotgun along the way. The box for the gun was recovered in his vehicle.
Investigators are working to compile a psychological profile while the motive is still under investigation.
Suspect ‘from family of Trump supporters’, says relative
The suspect’s cousin, Braeden Fields, 19, spoke with a reporter from the Associated Press, stating: “We are big Trump supporters, all of us. Everybody.”
But he said his relative didn’t discuss politics and was “real quiet, never really talked about anything”.
“He’s a good kid,” Fields said, adding that Martin sent part of every pay cheque from his job at a local golf course to charity.
“I wouldn’t believe he would do something like this. It’s mind-blowing.”
While Mr Trump often spends the weekends at Mar-a-Lago, he was at the White House with his wife Melania Trump when the incident took place.
Image: President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, where an intruder was killed. Pic: Reuters
White House praises Secret Service
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said the Secret Service had acted “quickly and decisively to neutralise a crazy person” who had intruded into Mr Trump’s home.
She wrote on X: “Federal law enforcement are working 24/7 to keep our country safe and protect all Americans. It’s shameful and reckless that Democrats have chosen to shut down their Department.”
Trump ‘would have been notified right away of the situation’
Earlier this month, Democrats in the US Senate blocked a funding package for the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Secret Service, over their opposition to an immigration crackdown that has triggered widespread protests and seen two people killed in Minneapolis.
Image: Secret Service update the media
The FBI has asked residents who live near Mar-a-Lago to check any security cameras as they may have footage that could help investigators.
Five days ago, US Capitol Police arrested a Georgia gunman armed with a shotgun as he sprinted towards the west side of the Capitol.
Mr Trump previously faced a threat to his life when he was wounded during an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024.
On September 15, 2024, a man with a rifle was captured after waiting near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach while the president played a round. He was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month.