An armed man was fatally shot by the U.S. Secret Service on Sunday outside of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.
The Secret Service said Sunday that a man in his early 20s was killed after breaching the property while holding what appeared to be a “shotgun and a fuel can” at around 1:30 a.m. The president was in Washington, D.C., at the time of the shooting.
The man killed was identified by authorities as Austin Tucker Martin, a source familiar with the matter told Associated Press. Public records show Martin is from Cameron, North Carolina, where he was reportedly designated missing several days ago.
Cameron is registered to vote but is not a member of a specific political party, public records show. He did, however, cast a ballot in the 2024 presidential election.
Two Secret Service agents and a deputy from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office were involved in the shooting, Secret Service Special Agent Rafael Barros said during a press conference in Palm Beach on Sunday morning. No law enforcement officers were injured in the shooting.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the man was confronted inside the North Gate of the Mar-a-Lago residence and told to “drop his items.”
Bradshaw said that the man put down his canister but not the firearm. He then crouched down to a “shooting position,” according to Bradshaw, and authorities fired.
“Agents and the deputy discharged their firearms to stop the threat,” Barros added.
Miami Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles said Secret Service agents are still collecting evidence at the scene.
He then pleaded with nearby residents to check their home surveillance systems for anything related to the violent incident.
“If you see anything suspicious or out of place, please contact us,” he said.
A joint investigation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secret Service, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is underway.
The White House deferred to the FBI and Secret Service for comment. Secret Service Special Agent Matthew Young told the Daily Beast that the FBI is leading the investigation.
Trump administration officials seized on the incident as a way to blast Senate Democrats for blocking Department of Homeland Security funding bills amid the federal immigration crackdown.
“Democrats voted to defund Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations (who partner with Secret Service) and all the intelligence and law enforcement functions that support Secret Service,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller wrote on X Sunday morning. “Never before in history has federal law enforcement been purposefully defunded.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also chimed in. “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 President Trump’s home,” she wrote on X. “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.”
