The Latest: Armed man shot, killed after entering perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, Secret Service says
By The
Associated Press
An armed man was shot and killed after entering the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
Although Trump often spends weekends at his resort, he was at the White House during this incident. The incident took place at 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
First lady Melania Trump was also with the president at the White House on Saturday night. The name of the person who was shot has not been released.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw said there was no immediate indication that the suspect was known to law enforcement. He was identified as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, of North Carolina.
The latest:
Though details of the armed man’s motive for entering the Mar-a-Lago perimeter are not yet known, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a Fox News interview on Sunday morning reacted by criticizing Democratic rhetoric.
“This existential threat that’s venom from the left really has to stop,” said Bessent, who added he had just spoken with Trump.
The man killed was identified by investigators as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin, according to a person familiar with the matter. He was from North Carolina.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation.
- By Alanna Durkin Richer
The man had a gas can and a shotgun, according to Anthony Guglielmi, a Secret Service spokesman.
Asked whether the suspect was known to law enforcement, Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw said “not right now.”
Five days ago, U.S. Capitol Police arrested a Georgia gunman armed with a shotgun as he sprinted towards the west side of the U.S. Capitol.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw, speaking at a brief press conference, said the man was confronted by two Secret Service agents and a sheriff’s deputy.
“He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with them. At which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw said. The two agents and the deputy “fired their weapons to neutralize the threat.”
The FBI asked area residents who live near Mar-a-Lago to check any security cameras they may have for footage that could help investigators.
The suspect, who was in his early 20s and from North Carolina, was reported missing a few days ago by his family.
Investigators believe he left North Carolina and headed south, picking up a shotgun along the way, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.
The box for the gun was recovered in his vehicle, Guglielmi said. The man drove through the north gate of Mar-a-Lago as another vehicle was exiting and was confronted by Secret Service agents, Guglielmi said.
The agents confronted the armed man and he was fatally shot. Investigators are working to compile a psychological profile and a motive is still under investigation.
Trump has faced threats to his life before. He was wounded during an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., on July 13, 2024.
Then on Sept. 15, 2024, a man with a rifle was captured after waiting near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach while the president played a round. He was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month.
The incident comes as the U.S. has been rocked multiple times in recent years by political violence.
Just last year, that included the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the assassination of the Democratic leader in the Minnesota state House and her husband and the shooting of another lawmaker and his wife, and an arson attack at the official residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
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