Armed man with shotgun killed after breaching perimeter at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort
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US President Donald Trump, who is in Washington, was not at Mar-a-Lago at the time of the incident.
PHOTO: REUTERS
WASHINGTON – US Secret Service agents and local police shot and killed a man armed with a shotgun early on Feb 22 after he breached a secure perimeter at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort
Mr Trump, who is now in Washington, was not at the site at the time.
The man in the Feb 22 incident was identified as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, from North Carolina, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
He had been reported missing within the last few days, according to the source.
The incident occurred at a time when the United States is facing a spike in political violence.
In 2024, a gunman’s bullet grazed Mr Trump’s ear
In the Feb 22 incident, the man was carrying a shotgun and a fuel can, the Secret Service said in a statement, adding that he was observed at the resort’s north gate at around 1.30am EST (2.30pm Singapore time).
Two Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputy confronted the man and ordered him to drop the two items, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a press conference on the morning of Feb 22.
The man put down the fuel can and raised the shotgun “to a shooting position”, prompting law enforcement to open fire, Mr Bradshaw said.
The man was declared dead at the scene. No law enforcement officers were injured.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the Secret Service “acted quickly and decisively to neutralise a crazy person, armed with a gun and a gas canister, who intruded President Trump’s home”.
FBI heads investigation
Law enforcement officials did not reveal any information about the motive for the incident.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has taken over the investigation and is collecting evidence from the scene, officials said.
FBI director Kash Patel said in a social media post that the agency is “dedicating all necessary resources” to the investigation.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he spoke with Mr Trump after the incident.
Mr Bessent thanked the Secret Service for protecting the President and his family.
“We don’t know whether this person was a mastermind, unhinged or what,” Mr Bessent said on the Fox News programme Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo.
In 2024, Mr Trump faced two assassination attempts, including one at his golf course in West Palm Beach.
The perpetrator of that incident was sentenced to life in prison
Ms Melissa Hortman, a Democratic state lawmaker in Minnesota, was shot and killed in June 2025 along with her husband.
Months later, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated
