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A man armed with a shotgun was shot and killed early Sunday after making an unauthorized entry into the secure perimeter of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, according to the U.S. Secret Service and local law enforcement.
Multiple law-enforcement sources identified the man as Austin T. Martin, 21, of Cameron, North Carolina.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said security personnel detected the breach around 1:30 a.m. near a gate on the north side of the property.
“A deputy and two Secret Service agents on the detail went to that area to investigate,” Bradshaw said at a Sunday morning news conference. “They confronted a white male who was carrying a gas can and a shotgun.”
Bradshaw said the man was ordered to drop the items. While he complied with dropping the gas can, he then raised the shotgun “to a shooting position.”
“At that point, the deputy and the Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat,” Bradshaw said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
No protectees present
Secret Service officials emphasized that no protectees were at the property at the time of the incident. President Trump remained in Washington over the weekend.
Rafael Barros, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Miami Field Office, said no law-enforcement personnel were injured.
Investigation underway
Authorities are investigating whether Martin purchased the shotgun along his driving route from North Carolina to Florida. Bradshaw said the man’s family had reported him missing to authorities on Saturday.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation, with assistance from the Secret Service and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials have not described a motive and said it remains unclear why the man targeted the Mar-a-Lago property.
Security context
Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club and residence in Palm Beach, is protected by multiple security layers even when the president is not present. Unauthorized entry into the inner perimeter is treated as a serious security threat.
Law-enforcement officials said more information would be released once investigators complete initial evidence reviews and next-of-kin notifications.
