The FBI and U.S. Secret Service have provided additional information following an incident where an armed individual breached the secured area of Mar-a-Lago, the resort owned by President Donald Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday morning.
Identified as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin from North Carolina, the man was fatally shot during the encounter. Martin entered the property through the north gate while another vehicle was exiting. He was approached by two Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. Martin, who was on foot, was observed by the Secret Service entering the gate as it was opening for employees leaving the premises.
Authorities in Florida reported that Martin was carrying a gas can and a shotgun. Sheriff Bradshaw mentioned in a brief news conference that Martin was instructed to drop the items he was carrying, and when he raised the shotgun in a threatening manner, the two agents and the deputy responded by firing their weapons.
It was revealed that Martin had acquired the shotgun while driving south, according to Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi. A box for the weapon was later discovered in Martin’s vehicle. Despite ongoing investigations, a motive for Martin’s actions has not been determined.
Efforts are underway to create a psychological profile of the individual. When asked if Martin had a known history with law enforcement, Sheriff Bradshaw responded that there was no prior record at the moment.
The FBI has urged residents living near Mar-a-Lago to review any security footage captured by their cameras that may assist in the investigation.
In a separate development, President Trump recounted being the target of two assassination attempts in 2024. “I don’t know how long I’ll be around. I’ve got a lot of people gunning for me, don’t I?” he remarked during a White House event for crime victims, adding, “But they only go after consequential presidents, they don’t go after non-consequential presidents.”
Regarding the suspect, the Moore County Sheriff’s Department in North Carolina disclosed that a relative of Martin had reported him missing early on Sunday. A cousin of Martin, Braeden Fields, shared that Martin rarely discussed politics, appeared apprehensive about firearms, and came from a family supportive of Trump.
Living with his mother in Cameron, N.C., Martin resided in a modest modular home. Field mentioned that Martin’s sister passed away in a car accident in 2023, and he has an older brother serving in the military.
Martin had been employed as a groundskeeper at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club for the past three years. The club’s president, Kelly Miller, expressed sympathy for Martin’s family, describing the incident as unexpected and tragic.
The breach at Mar-a-Lago occurred near the West Palm Beach club where another individual was apprehended while Trump was playing golf in September 2024.
In a related incident, a Secret Service agent had spotted Ryan Routh aiming a rifle before Trump’s appearance in Butler, Pa., last year. Routh was recently sentenced to life in prison for his actions. Trump had also narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in July 2024 when Thomas Crooks fired shots during a rally in Butler, Pa., resulting in the death of an attendee before being neutralized by a Secret Service counter sniper.
