Security at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, was tested in the early hours of Saturday when U.S. Secret Service agents shot and killed a 21-year-old armed suspect attempting unauthorized entry. Austin Tucker Martin, a resident of Cameron, North Carolina, slipped through the north gate around 1:30 a.m. as a vehicle departed, carrying a shotgun and a gas can that sparked fears of a potential arson or worse.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw provided a vivid account to reporters. ‘I confronted a white male holding a gas can and a shotgun,’ he said. Ordered to drop his items, Martin complied with the can but lifted the shotgun threateningly. In response, deputies and two Secret Service agents fired, neutralizing the threat instantly. No staff from the Secret Service or sheriff’s office sustained injuries, and the incident unfolded within the estate’s inner perimeter.
President Trump was absent from the property, averting disaster. The FBI, through its Miami field office, is leading the investigation with Special Agent Brett Skyles emphasizing comprehensive evidence collection. A shotgun box discovered in Martin’s car, combined with his recent missing person report from family, fuels speculation about his state of mind.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt lauded the agents’ ‘decisive and rapid’ response on X, noting the intruder had entered ‘President Trump’s home’ armed. FBI Director Kash Patel affirmed the bureau’s all-out effort. This breach revives painful memories of 2024 attacks: a gunman at a Pennsylvania rally who nearly killed Trump, and another arrest at his nearby golf course. As federal investigators comb the scene and canvass locals for footage, the nation watches closely, pondering vulnerabilities in protecting high-profile figures like the president.