An armed man trying to infiltrate US President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida was shot and killed, the Secret Service said on Sunday.
The man, later identified as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin, had been spotted “by the north gate of the Mar-a-Lago property, carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can" at about 1:30 AM (local time), an Associated Press report said, citing Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw.
United States Secret Service says - "On February 22, around 1:30 a.m., a male in his early 20s was shot by U.S. Secret Service agents and a deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO) following an unauthorized entry into the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago. The… pic.twitter.com/V2d85FCeeS
— ANI (@ANI) February 22, 2026
Bradshaw added that the intruder had been told to drop his equipment. While he reportedly did put down the gas can, the man raised his shotgun to a "shooting position".
As a result, two Secret Service agents and a sheriff's deputy present at the scene opened fire to "neutralise the threat".
Where was Trump?
While Trump and First Lady Melania typically spend their weekends at Mar-a-Lago, the two had been at the White House during the incident. He is yet to publicly comment on the incident, speculated to be an assassination attempt.
The two had been at the annual White House dinner, an occasion where leaders from both parties come together, socialise and spend time with the president.
How did the intruder try to enter the estate?
The Secret Service had earlier said that the suspect was a man in his early twenties from North Carolina, and was reported missing by his family just days ago.
According to Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi, it is believed Martin left North Carolina and travelled further south, obtaining a shotgun along the way. The box that this gun came in has been recovered.
In the middle of the night while most Americans were asleep, the United States Secret Service acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person, armed with a gun and a gas canister, who intruded President Trump’s home. Federal law enforcement are working 24/7 to keep our… https://t.co/MYTsHqR4cx
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) February 22, 2026
He added that the man had driven through the north gate of the estate, just as another vehicle was exiting.
"Federal law enforcement are working 24/7 to keep our country safe and protect all Americans," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in an X post, in which she also blamed the Democrats, saying that they had "shut down their Department".
