An armed man drives into the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago early Sunday, prompting Secret Service agents to open fire and kill him after he raises a shotgun.
According to the United States Secret Service, the man breaches the north gate around 1:30 a.m. as another vehicle exits the property. Agents and a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy confront him shortly after he enters the grounds.
Officials say the man, identified as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin of North Carolina, carries a gas can and a shotgun. He had been reported missing days earlier, and investigators believe he travels south before obtaining the weapon. A shotgun box is later found inside his vehicle.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw says authorities order the man to drop the items. He complies with the gas can but raises the shotgun into a firing position. Agents and the deputy immediately shoot to neutralise the threat.
At the time of the breach, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are at the White House, not at the Florida resort. Trump has previously survived two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation asks nearby residents to review security camera footage and says it is dedicating full resources to the investigation. Authorities continue working to determine a motive and build a psychological profile, adding that the suspect is not currently known to law enforcement.
The incident unfolds amid heightened political violence nationwide. It occurs just miles from Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club, where a separate assassination attempt takes place during the 2024 campaign. In that case, a gunman is later convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
In a statement on X, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the Secret Service acts “quickly and decisively” to stop an armed intruder. The White House refers further questions to federal investigators as the probe continues.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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