A 21-year-old man identified as Austin Tucker Martin was shot and killed on Sunday after entering the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, the Florida estate and private club owned by US President Donald Trump.
The United States Secret Service and local law enforcement confirmed the shooting after the man was found armed on the property.
The incident happened at around 1.30 a.m. local time on February 22, 2026, according to authorities.
Martin was a man from North Carolina who was reported missing by his family a few days before the event. Investigators believe he travelled south and obtained a shotgun along the way, with the weapon’s box later found inside his vehicle, reports Local 10.
The shotgun-wielding man wa ID’d as a North Carolina golf course artist, reports the New York Post.
MAGA commentator Laura Loomer also claimed that Martin was missing, according to Facebook posts she found on the suspect’s family’s accounts.
In a post on X, she said: “It appears a man named Austin Tucker Martin was also reported missing by his family in North Carolina yesterday according to posts I found on Facebook.
His aunt said on Facebook his family contacted the FBI to report him missing…. “
She added: “Source told me the name of the man USSS shot and killed who tried to break into Mar a Lago with a shotgun and gas canister is named Austin Tucker Martin.”
Officials said Martin entered through the north gate of Mar-a-Lago’s secure perimeter carrying two items that attracted immediate attention. A spokesman for the Secret Service said he was observed holding a shotgun and a fuel can. Agents and a deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office confronted him once he breached the security area.
Law enforcement ordered Martin to drop both items to eliminate the perceived threat. According to Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, Martin set down the fuel can but then raised the shotgun in a threatening posture toward the officers. In response, the agents and the deputy opened fire, and Martin was pronounced dead at the scene.
No law enforcement personnel were injured during the encounter.
Martin’s exact motive for approaching the highly secured estate remains unknown. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has taken the lead in investigating the incident, collecting evidence, and trying to determine what led him to Mar-a-Lago. Authorities have also asked nearby residents to share any security camera footage that might help with the inquiry.
In a post on X, Bureau director Kash Patel said: “FBI is dedicating all necessary resources in the investigation of this morning’s incident at President Trump’s Mar-A-Lago – where an armed individual was shot and killed after unlawfully entering the perimeter. We will continue working closely with Secret Service as well our state and federal partners and will provide updates as we are able.”
At the time of the incident, Trump and first lady Melania Trump were at the White House in Washington, DC, as they were attending an official event and not present at the Palm Beach estate.
