A 21-year-old North Carolina man was shot and killed by law enforcement early Sunday morning after breaching the secure perimeter of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
The deceased has been identified as Austin Tucker Martin, a resident of Cameron, North Carolina.
Law enforcement confirmed the shooting occurred at approximately 1:30 a.m. local time.
Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the U.S. Secret Service, stated that Martin entered the property carrying a shotgun and a fuel can.
His entry point was near the north gate of the resort.
Upon encountering Martin inside the secure perimeter, two Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy confronted the intruder.
Martin pointed the shotgun at the officers, and he was shot and killed on the scene.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw confirmed the details of the confrontation.
When asked whether Martin had a prior law enforcement record, Bradshaw stated, “not right now,” according to media reports.
Guglielmi confirmed in a statement: “On February 22, around 1:30 a.m., a male in his early 20s was shot by U.S. Secret Service agents and a deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office following an unauthorized entry in the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago.”
He added that no Secret Service agents or sheriff’s deputies were injured during the incident.
Guglielmi further noted: “There were no Secret Service protectees at the location at the time of the incident.”
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were not at Mar-a-Lago at the time of the breach. The couple was at the White House when the incident took place.
Martin’s family had reported him missing prior to the incident, the Daily Mail reported.
They told authorities he was believed to have acquired the shotgun during his drive south.
A box for the weapon was recovered from Martin’s vehicle, a 2013 silver Volkswagen Tiguan, which his family identified.
Martin was last heard from on Saturday at approximately 8:00 p.m., just hours before the shooting.
He had departed his family’s $1.1 million home in Cameron, North Carolina, around 1:00 p.m. that same day.
A family member expressed shock over the incident on social media.
His aunt wrote: “This is not like him at all.”
An Instagram account linked to Martin showed a personal interest in illustrating golf courses, landscapes, and architectural scenes.
In a description posted to the account, Martin wrote: “I specialize in pen illustrations centered around landscapes, architecture, and scenery.”
He had posted dozens of photographs and drawings, including a caption on one image that read: “Thank you for this gift, Dear Lord.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the incident on X, writing: “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 on the President Trump’s home.”
Leavitt added: “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.”
