An armed man was shot and killed by the Secret Service in the early morning hours after breaching the secure perimeter at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago in Florida. The man has been identified as Austin Tucker Martin, who was carrying a shotgun and a fuel can when he tried to enter Trump's Palm Beach property, the Secret Service said.
The incident happened near the north side around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday in Palm Beach. President Trump and First Lady Melania were in Washington, DC that night, attending the Governors' Dinner. Two Secret Service agents and a deputy with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office ordered the man to drop his weapons.
Horror at Mar-a-Lago
"They confronted a white male that was carrying a gas can and a shotgun. He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him," Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a press conference on Sunday morning.
Investigators said the suspect, who was from North Carolina and had been reported missing by his family just days earlier, initially dropped the fuel can but then raised his gun into a firing position, prompting officers to open fire.
"At that point, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents discharged their weapons and neutralized the threat. He is deceased at the scene," Bradshaw said.
Authorities confirmed that no agents with the United States Secret Service or deputies from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office were injured during the incident.
"At this time, no law enforcement personnel were injured during the incident. We want to be clear, the President of the United States was not in the state of Florida," said Rafael Barros, the Special Agent in Charge at the Secret Service Miami field office.
Bradshaw released a single photo from the scene showing the gas can and shotgun recovered after the confrontation.
Authorities have not yet publicly identified the man, as they are still notifying his next of kin. He was believed to be in his early 20s, from North Carolina, and had been reported missing by his family several days earlier.
Motive Still Unclear
Investigators believe he left North Carolina and traveled south, picking up a shotgun along the way, Anthony Guglielmi told the Associated Press. The box for the firearm was later found inside his vehicle.
Officials said the man drove through the north gate of Mar-a-Lago as another vehicle was exiting, at which point he was confronted by agents from the United States Secret Service.
The FBI is now leading the investigation and has asked nearby residents to review their security cameras for any footage that could help piece together what happened before the incident.
"If you live in the area of the shooting, please check your exterior cameras for last night, early this morning," Brett Skiles, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Miami field office, said.
"If you see anything that looks suspicious or out of place, please contact us. Call FBI or contact the West Palm Beach Sheriff's Office."
