Armed Intruder Shot and Killed at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Estate

An armed 21-year-old man was shot and killed early Sunday morning after breaching the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago.

According to Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service, “An armed man drove into the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida, as another vehicle was exiting before being shot and killed early Sunday morning.”

The man, identified as Austin Tucker Martin of North Carolina, was carrying a gas can and a shotgun at the time of the incident. Martin had been reported missing by his family a few days prior, and investigators believe he traveled south and acquired the weapon along the way.

The breach occurred around 1:30 a.m. near the property’s north gate, where Martin was confronted by two Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw stated that Martin “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.” The agents and the deputy then “fired their weapons to neutralize the threat.”

While the Trump’s were at the White House when the breach occurred, the incident follows a series of high-profile threats against the president.

The FBI has taken over the investigation to determine a motive and compile a psychological profile of the suspect. FBI Director Kash Patel noted the bureau is “dedicating all necessary resources” to the case. This security breach comes amid a partial government shutdown that has left many Secret Service members working without a paycheck. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt praised the law enforcement response, stating, “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.”