February 22, (THEWILL) — An armed man was shot and killed early Sunday after he breached the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, the Florida estate and private club owned by U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to the United States Secret Service, the incident occurred at about 1:30 a.m. local time (06:30 GMT) when the man entered the inner security perimeter near the north gate of the Palm Beach property carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can. He was confronted by two Secret Service agents and a deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, who ordered him to drop the items. The man put down the fuel can but raised the shotgun to a firing position, prompting officers to open fire and fatally shoot him. No law enforcement officers were injured.
President Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago at the time of the incident. He and First Lady Melania Trump were in Washington, D.C., where the president is currently based. Authorities said no individuals under Secret Service protection were present at the estate during the event.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the suspect, a white male believed to be in his early 20s, was spotted near the property’s north gate and was seen carrying the shotgun and fuel can when officers approached him. Although officials have not yet released his name (pending notification of his next of kin), multiple sources have identified the suspect as 21-year-old Austin T. Martin.
Law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, are investigating the incident, reviewing security footage and seeking to determine the man’s motive and whether he acted alone.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters that officers repeatedly ordered the man to drop his belongings before he was shot.
“The only words we said to him were ‘drop the items,’” Bradshaw said, noting that the man complied with putting down the fuel can but then raised the shotgun before officers fired.
The FBI has asked nearby residents to check their surveillance cameras for any footage that could assist the investigation. Officials said agents involved in the shooting will be placed on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of the inquiry.
Mar-a-Lago, often referred to as Trump’s “Winter White House,” remains a high-security location with both an outer cordon of local law enforcement and an inner perimeter maintained by the Secret Service. Sunday’s shooting underscores the vigilance maintained at the site, even when its owner is not present.
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