Armed Man Killed by Law Enforcement at Mar-a-Lago, Secret Service Says
Armed Man Killed by Law Enforcement at Mar-a-Lago, Secret Service Says
Richard HallSun, February 22, 2026 at 8:26 PM UTC
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FILE - This is an aerial view of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, Aug. 10, 2022, in Palm Beach, Fla. Credit - Steve Helber—
A man was shot and killed by law enforcement after "unlawfully entering" the grounds of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, in the early hours of Sunday morning, the Secret Service said.
The man was seen near the north gate of the complex carrying “what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can,” the Secret Service said in a statement on X. He was shot by Secret Service agents and a Deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the statement said.
The man killed was identified by investigators as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin, the reported, citing a person familiar with the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation.
President Trump was at the White House in Washington, D.C., at the time of the shooting.
Read more: A Year Later, Butler Shooting Marks the Defining Moment of Trump’s Political Comeback
"The incident, including the individual’s 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’s Office," the Secret Service said.
At a Sunday morning news conference, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said that at 1:30 am, a deputy and two Secret Service agents confronted a “white male” who had made his way into the inner perimeter of the property and was holding a gas can and a shotgun.
“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,” Bradshaw said. “At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat.” The suspect was declared dead at the scene.
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Bradshaw said that no security personnel were wounded during the encounter, and he then distributed photographs of the shotgun and gas can to the media at the conference.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised the Secret Service, saying agents had “acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person.” She then criticized Democrats, whom she and President Trump have blamed for the current partial government shutdown.
“Federal law enforcement are working 24/7 to keep our country safe and protect all Americans,” Leavitt said. “It’s shameful and reckless that Democrats have chosen to shut down their Department.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that the agency would be “dedicating all necessary resources” to the investigation.
President Trump previously survived an assassination attempt on the campaign trail in July 2024, when he was shot at during an event in Butler, Pennsylvania. One person in the audience was killed, and two were critically injured in the incident. The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot and killed by law enforcement.
Then, in September 2024, Secret Service members spotted a man hiding with a rifle in the bushes of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, where the president was playing, just one hole away. That man, later identified as Ryan Routh, was found guilty in September 2025 of trying to assassinate the President.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told FOX News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures that he spoke with Trump, and that he and his family “shouldn’t have to endure attempt after attempt."
This is a developing story and will be .
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Source: “AOL Breaking”
