An armed man was reportedly shot dead at Mar-a-Lago, the private Florida estate owned by United States President Donald Trump on Sunday, 22 February.
The suspect, later identified as Austin Tucker Martin of Cameron, North Carolina, breached the secure perimeter of the residence and was carrying a shotgun and a fuel can according to the Secret Service.
An armed man was shot & killed by U.S. Secret Service agents & @PBCountySheriff after unlawfully entering the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago early this morning. A press briefing with additional details will be held at 9:00 a.m with @FBI and Palm Beach County. pic.twitter.com/jAXhdb1xEL
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) February 22, 2026
The incident happened at around 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time at the South Florida state. Trump and the first lady normally spend their time at the Mar-a-Lago resort during weekends. However, both were at the White House at the time of the incident hosting a dinner for governors. The United States president was briefed about the incident according to a White House official as reported by CNN.
Upon spotting Martin unlawfully entering the secure perimeter, the 21-year-old was ordered to drop the items he was carrying. Martin put down the gas can but raised the shotgun to a shooting position, forcing agents to fire at him to neutralise the threat, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw in a BBC report.
'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 stated at a press briefing.
Martin Acted 'Out of Character'
For people who knew the deceased suspect, the alleged assassination attempt came as a surprise. People close to the 21-year-old claim that Austin was a quiet person and was allegedly an avid Trump supporter.
'He's a good kid,' Braeden Fields, Martin's cousin stated. 'I wouldn't believe he would do something like this. It's mind-blowing,' Fields added per a report by the Associated Press.
Fields added that Martin worked at a golf course and would send part of his salary to charity. He added that he and Austin never talked much about politics, leaving him befuddled as to why the 21-year-old would end up trying to assassinate the United States president.
With Mar-a-Lago known to be the place where Trump holds presidential activities, security at the estate is expected to be heightened. Political violence in the U.S. rising, targeting Republican and Democratic figures alike.
Trump Assassination Plots Remain
The incident serves as a stern warning to Trump who has been a target of several assassination attempts already. The last was in July 2024 when he was shot in the ear by Matthew Crooks in Butler, Pennsylvania. The 20-year-old assailant was shot and killed in that incident.
In September of that same year, a 59-year-old man named Ryan Routh was arrested for an assassination attempt on the U.S. President's life at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. Agents were able to spot Routh through a rifle sticking out of the bushes at the club.
Routh fled the scene but would be apprehended not long after in Martin County. He was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month. Aside from that, he also received a consecutive seven-year sentence for one of his gun convictions according to a report from The Guardian.
