An armed man was shot dead early Sunday after entering the secure perimeter of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, the U.S. Secret Service said.
The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. ET (06:30 GMT) at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach while Trump was in Washington, D.C. Authorities said the man was carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can when he was confronted by agents and a local sheriff’s deputy.
Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said agents observed the suspect unlawfully entering the secured area near the property’s north gate. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told a news conference that officers repeatedly ordered the man to drop the items.
“The only words that we said to him was ‘drop the items,’ which means the gas can and the shotgun,” Bradshaw said. He added that the man put down the fuel can but raised the shotgun into a firing position, prompting agents to open fire to “neutralise the threat.”
No law enforcement officers were injured, and officers were wearing body cameras, Bradshaw said. It remains unclear whether the shotgun was loaded. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting with the investigation.
The suspect was identified as 21-year-old Austin T. Martin of Cameron, North Carolina, according to CBS News. The Moore County Sheriff’s Office said his family had reported him missing earlier Sunday. The office added it had no prior dealings with Martin and is not involved in the Florida investigation.
Officials are examining whether Martin purchased the firearm during his drive from North Carolina to Florida. Secret Service Director Sean Curran traveled to Florida following the incident to review the agency’s response.
Security at Mar-a-Lago includes an outer perimeter maintained by Palm Beach County deputies and an inner cordon overseen by the Secret Service. Visitors are subject to screenings, including canine sweeps and metal detectors.
Trump has faced previous assassination attempts. In July 2024, he was wounded in the ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania; the gunman, Matthew Crooks, was killed at the scene. Months later, Ryan Routh was arrested after allegedly attempting to target Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club and was later sentenced to life in prison.
Following Sunday’s incident, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business that political rhetoric has contributed to rising tensions, urging an end to what he described as the normalisation of political violence.
