US Secret Service agents fatally shot a 21-year-old man who breached the security perimeter of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida early Sunday morning. The incident occurred around 1.30am local time while Trump was in Washington, DC.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw identified the suspect as Austin Tucker Martin, who was armed with a shotgun and carrying a fuel can when he was spotted at the estate’s north gate. Agents ordered him to disarm; Martin placed the fuel can down but raised the shotgun, prompting a deputy and two Secret Service agents to open fire, fatally wounding him. No officers were injured, and no one under protection was present at the estate.
Martin, reportedly an illustrator of landscapes and golf courses, had an older sister who died three years ago at age 21.
The shooting is the latest in a series of security incidents involving Trump. Earlier this month, Ryan Routh was sentenced to life imprisonment for plotting to assassinate Trump at a Florida golf course in September 2024. Previous attacks include a gunman at a Pennsylvania rally who grazed Trump’s ear before being neutralised by security.
Political violence has surged across the US, with notable incidents including the deaths of Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband in June, the shooting of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk, and an arson attempt targeting Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in April.
The Secret Service, responsible for protecting current and former presidents, their families, key election candidates, and visiting foreign leaders, is operating amid a partial government shutdown. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attributed the funding impasse to Democratic opposition, which has blocked additional resources for the Department of Homeland Security until major immigration policy changes are implemented.
