U.S. Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputy shot and killed a man early Sunday morning after he entered the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida. The incident occurred at approximately 1:30 a.m. Local time.
According to Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw, the man, described as white and in his 20s, was carrying a gas can and a shotgun when confronted by law enforcement. Bradshaw stated that agents and the deputy ordered the man to drop the items. He complied with the request to drop the gas can, but then raised the shotgun into a shooting position. At that point, the law enforcement officers fired their weapons, fatally wounding the man.
“They ordered him to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him. At which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw said during a press conference. “At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons to neutralize the threat. He is deceased at the scene.”
The Secret Service confirmed that no law enforcement officers were injured during the encounter. The identity of the man is being withheld pending notification of his next of kin.
President Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago at the time of the shooting. He had delivered remarks the previous evening at the White House Governors Dinner in Washington, D.C. The White House referred all inquiries to the Secret Service and the FBI.
The FBI is leading the investigation, assisted by the U.S. Secret Service and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators are working to determine the man’s background, potential motive, and the circumstances leading up to the shooting. The FBI has requested that residents in the area review any security camera footage they may have that could be relevant to the investigation.
Authorities have learned the suspect was reported missing by his family a few days prior to the incident. He is believed to have traveled from North Carolina, acquiring the shotgun along the way. The box for the shotgun was recovered from his vehicle, according to Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. The man reportedly drove through a gate at Mar-a-Lago as another vehicle was exiting before being confronted by agents.
Investigators are currently compiling a psychological profile of the suspect, but a motive remains under investigation. This incident follows a previous attempt on President Trump’s life during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024.
