Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County deputy shot and killed a man who entered the secure perimeter at President Donald Trump\u2019s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida with \u201cwhat appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can,\u201d the Secret Service announced in a statement on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The suspect\u2019s identity has not officially been released \u201cpending notification of next of kin,\u201d the statement said. Two law enforcement sources identified the suspect to NBC News as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, of North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A man with that name was reported missing, his mother posted Sunday morning on Facebook. Local police declined to comment when they were asked whether Martin was still considered a missing person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a news conference that a deputy and two Secret Service agents went to investigate when the security detail detected that someone had entered the Florida club’s perimeter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“They confronted a white male that was carrying a gas can and a shotgun,” Bradshaw said. “He was ordered 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.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat,” he continued. “He is deceased at the scene.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No law enforcement officers were injured, the Secret Service statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump wasn\u2019t at Mar-a-Lago. He spoke Saturday evening at the White House Governors Dinner in Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reached for comment, the White House referred NBC News to the Secret Service and the FBI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X that the Secret Service \u201cacted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFederal law enforcement are working 24\/7 to keep our country safe and protect all Americans,\u201d she said, going on to criticize Democrats while referring to the Secret Service\u2019s operating within the Department of Homeland Security, which is in a shutdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Secret Service statement said, \u201cThe incident, including the individual\u2019s background, actions, potential motive, and the use of force, is under investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff\u2019s Office.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Secret Service agents involved in the shooting will be on administrative leave \u201cpending the outcome of the investigation,\u201d which is routine agency policy, the statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that the FBI “is dedicating all necessary resources in the investigation of this morning\u2019s incident at President Trump\u2019s Mar-A-Lago.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump has previously faced two assassination attempts amid a rise in violence and threats against political figures in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2024, Trump was shot at during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A bullet grazed his ear, and a rally attendee was killed. Later that year, a man with a rifle was found hiding in shrubbery at Trump’s golf club. The suspect, Ryan Routh, was sentenced to life in prison after he was found guilty of attempting to assassinate Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last week, a man was arrested after he rushed toward the Capitol with a loaded shotgun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The incident comes amid heightened concerns over political violence. U.S. Capitol Police said in a report released last month that they investigated 14,938 cases last year, a spike from the 9,474 in 2024. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed in September. Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed, and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were severely injured in a shooting that authorities say was carried out by the same person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n