by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News February 22, 2026
A 21-year-old North Carolina man armed with a shotugun drove into the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida, Sunday morning and was shot and killed by security forces, according to the U.S. Secret Service.
The man, identified by investigators as Austin Tucker Martin, drove through the north gate of the Mar-a-Lago property as another vehicle was exiting. The intruder had a gas can and a shotgun, according to Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
The man was confronted by two Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.
“He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had. At which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw said at a brief press conference. The two agents and the deputy “fired their weapons to neutralize the threat.”
Trump was not staying at Mar-a-Lago this weekend.
Martin had been reported missing by his family a few days ago, and investigators believe he headed south and picked up the shotgun along the way.
Guglielmi said a box for the weapon was discovered in the man’s vehicle after the incident, which took place around 1:30 a.m.
At this time, officials say there is no immediate indication that the suspect was previously known to law enforcement, and the motive behind the intrusion remains unknown.
The FBI asked residents who live near Mar-a-Lago to check any security cameras they may have for footage that could help investigators.
The incursion at Mar-a-Lago took place a few miles from where a man sought to assassinate Trump while he played golf during the 2024 campaign.
A Secret Service agent spotted that man, Ryan Routh, aiming a rifle through shrubbery before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire and caused Routh to drop his weapon.
Routh was found guilty last year and sentenced this month to life in prison.
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