A man was fatally shot early Sunday morning after Secret Service agents and a local law enforcement officer opened fire on him for trespassing at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, federal and local officials said.
The man, whom the FBI later identified as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, of Moore County, North Carolina, was shot at by Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy, the Secret Service said. The agency said he appeared to be carrying a shotgun and a fuel can near the resort’s front gate.
Two Secret Service agents and a sheriff’s deputy opened fire on the intruder about 20 yards from the gate after he refused multiple orders to drop his gun and gas can, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the situation.
Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago overnight. He was at the White House hosting an annual dinner for the nation’s governors.
“In the middle of the night while most Americans were asleep, the United States Secret Service acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person, armed with a gun and a gas canister, who intruded President Trump’s home,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Sunday.
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement on X Sunday that the FBI is “dedicating all necessary resources in the investigation of this morning’s incident at President Trump’s Mar-A-Lago – where an armed individual was shot and killed after unlawfully entering the perimeter.”
“He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with them, at which point he put down the gas can and raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said in a news conference on Sunday. Bradshaw said the intruder was shot after being told to drop the weapon.
The FBI is investigating Martin’s background and potential motives, officials said. Local residents have been asked to check their security camera footage in case they see anything suspicious related to the incident.
The Secret Service said the agents involved have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
There have been two assassination attempts against Trump, both of which occurred during the 2024 campaign. The first took place at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired several shots from a rooftop with an AR-15-style rifle. Trump was hit near the upper right ear but survived. Secret Service agents killed Crooks.
Another attempt occurred at the Trump International Golf Club while Trump was playing golf. A Secret Service agent fired at the suspect, Ryan Routh, who fled but was later apprehended and eventually convicted. On Feb. 4, 2026, Routh was sentenced to life in prison for the attempt.
Marc Santia and Emily Hung contributed to this report.
Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.