An armed man was shot and killed after breaching the secure perimeter of former US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida early Sunday morning, the US Secret Service said.
The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Austin T Martin from Cameron, North Carolina, was carrying a shotgun and a fuel can when he was confronted by Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy. The shooting occurred at approximately 1:30 a.m. ET (06:30 GMT) while Trump was in Washington, D.C.
According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, Martin’s family had reported him missing earlier Sunday, and the case had since been transferred to federal authorities. The sheriff’s office said it had no prior records relating to Martin and was not directly involved in the Florida investigation.
US Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the suspect “was observed by the north gate of the Mar-a-Lago property carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can.” He added that Martin refused verbal commands to drop the items, lifted the shotgun into a firing position, and was subsequently shot to neutralize the threat.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw confirmed that body cameras were worn by officers and that no law enforcement personnel were injured. He said the FBI will assist in investigating whether the firearm was loaded and how it was obtained along Martin’s route from North Carolina to Florida.
US Secret Service Director Sean Curran traveled to Florida Sunday to oversee “after-actions” and reinforce operational protocols following the incident. Mar-a-Lago maintains extremely tight security, with an outer cordon of local sheriffs and an inner perimeter patrolled by Secret Service agents, including thorough searches of visitors and vehicles.
The incident follows a series of attempted attacks on Trump. In July 2024, Trump was shot in the ear during an event in Butler, Pennsylvania; one bystander was killed and two others injured. The 20-year-old shooter, Matthew Crooks, was killed by security forces. Later, a rifle was discovered at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach; the suspect, 59-year-old Ryan Routh, fled but was caught and sentenced to life in prison for attempted assassination.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, commenting on Sunday, said political violence is being “normalized” in the US, citing the two 2024 assassination attempts on Trump.
The incident adds to concerns over rising political violence in the United States, following other high-profile attacks last year, including an arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence, the fatal shootings of a Democratic lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota, and the public shooting of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.