A 21-year-old man was fatally shot by law enforcement officers early Sunday morning after breaching the perimeter of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. The man, identified as Austin Tucker Martin of Cameron, North Carolina, was armed with a shotgun and a fuel can when he was confronted by a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy and two U.S. Secret Service agents.
According to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric L. Bradshaw, officers responded to a report of an intruder near the north gate of the property around 1:30 a.m. ET. “He put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw said during a news conference. “At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat.” Martin was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Secret Service confirmed no agents were injured during the incident. The FBI is leading the investigation, with agents collecting evidence and processing the scene. Brett Skiles, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Miami field office, has asked residents in the area to review exterior security camera footage for anything suspicious and contact authorities.
Martin’s family had reported him missing on Saturday, just hours before the shooting. A missing person flyer circulated online described Martin as approximately 6 feet tall and driving a 2013 silver Volkswagen Tiguan. His mother, Melissa Martin, posted on Facebook around 7 a.m. ET on Sunday, asking for help locating her son, followed by a more formal missing person notice stating he was last heard from at 7:51 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Braeden Fields, Martin’s 19-year-old cousin, told the Associated Press that the family are “avid Trump supporters” and expressed disbelief over the incident. Fields described Martin as quiet and unlikely to engage in violence, stating, “I wouldn’t believe he would do something like this. It’s mind-blowing.” Fields likewise said Martin worked at a local golf course and operated a little artwork business, Fresh Sky Illustrations, focused on golf course scenes.
President Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago at the time of the shooting, having spent Saturday night hosting the annual Governors Dinner at the White House. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt released a statement praising the Secret Service for their swift response, stating they “acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person, armed with a gun and a gas canister, who intruded President Trump’s home.”
The incident comes amid a history of violence targeting political figures. In July 2024, President Trump survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Months later, a man was arrested near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course while allegedly attempting to breach security.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated the agency is dedicating “all necessary resources” to the investigation and will continue to collaborate with the Secret Service and other law enforcement partners. The agents involved in the shooting have been placed on routine administrative leave, in accordance with agency policy.
