Authorities have identified the man fatally shot by U.S. Secret Service agents after breaching the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago over the weekend as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin of Cameron, North Carolina.
According to law enforcement officials, Martin drove through the north gate of the Palm Beach estate as another vehicle was exiting the property. Agents confronted him inside the restricted area, where he was armed with a shotgun and carrying a gas canister. He was shot and killed at the scene. Former President Donald Trump was in Washington at the time of the incident, not at his Florida residence.
Secret Service officials said investigators believe Martin traveled from North Carolina to Florida, obtaining the shotgun along the way. The box for the weapon was later recovered from his vehicle. Authorities are continuing to work to establish a motive and compile a psychological profile. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said there was no immediate indication that Martin had prior interactions with local law enforcement.
In North Carolina, the Moore County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a relative reported Martin missing early Sunday morning. He was entered into a national missing persons database before federal authorities notified local officials that he was involved in an active investigation in Florida. The Moore County Sheriff’s Office stated it had no previous history involving Martin before the missing person report.
Media reports indicate Martin graduated from Union Pines High School in 2023 and recently started an artwork company specializing in handmade golf course illustrations. He lived in a region of North Carolina known for its golf courses and was a registered voter without formal party affiliation.
The incident marks the latest in a series of high-profile security threats involving properties or events connected to Trump. In July 2024, Trump was wounded during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Two months later, a man armed with a rifle was arrested after allegedly waiting near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach. That individual was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month. Last week, police in Washington arrested a Georgia man armed with a loaded shotgun near the U.S. Capitol.
Mar-a-Lago, often referred to by Trump as his winter White House, has faced scrutiny over security in the past, including a 2019 incident in which a foreign national gained access to the club’s lobby carrying electronic devices later determined to contain malware.
Federal and local authorities continue to investigate Sunday’s shooting as they assess security protocols and seek to determine what prompted Martin’s actions.
Source: The Guardian