WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — An armed man was shot and killed by U.S. Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy after breaching the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago early Sunday morning and raising a shotgun at officers.
The Associated Press says the man killed was identified by investigators as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin, according to a person familiar with the matter. He was from North Carolina.
WATCH BEACH: Mar-a-Lago intruder shot dead by deputy, Secret Service
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation.
The incident occurred at 1:30 a.m. when the security detail detected that an individual had made it into the inner perimeter at Mar-a-Lago, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw.
A deputy and two Secret Service agents on the detail went to that area to investigate. They confronted a man carrying a gas can and a shotgun near the front gate on the north side of Mar-a-Lago, just inside the inner perimeter.
"He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment," Bradshaw said. "He put down the gas can and raised the shotgun to a shooting position."
At that time, the deputy and the two Secret Service members fired their weapons and neutralized the threat.
Martin was pronounced dead at the scene. The person is not currently known to law enforcement, Bradshaw said.
Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros with the United States Secret Service Miami field office confirmed that the President of the United States was not in the state of Florida at the time of the incident.
FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Miami field office, Brett Skiles, said authorities are currently processing the scene and collecting evidence. He asked residents in the area of the shooting to check their security cameras and report any suspicious findings to the FBI.
WATCH BELOW: FBI and Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office hold press conference at Mar-a-Lago
"Nobody was in jeopardy inside because of the quick action taken by authorities," Bradshaw said.
When asked if any authorities were wearing body cameras, Bradshaw said, "Yes, we always do."
The only words said to the suspect were "drop the items," according to Bradshaw. Officials do not know at this time how many shots were fired or if the suspect's gun was loaded.
Neighbors who live near Mar-a-Lago said they heard the commotion unfold. Linda Gaynor said her son, who lives a 10-minute walk from the estate, came outside after hearing the noise.
"He was curious and came out and he saw all the emergency vehicles flying down the boulevard," said Gaynor.
When asked whether the incident was surprising, Gaynor said it was not.
"Why he did it, who knows but it's sad," Gaynor said. "It's sad for the family. It's sad for the United States that we're at this point that people are just really trying to take out Donald Trump."
WPTV Reporter Zitlali Solache found public records which show Martin last voted in 2024 but did not declare a party affiliation.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X that Secret Service acted quickly to neutralize what she called a crazy person. She also used the post to criticize Democrats over the ongoing partial government shutdown. President Trump has not publicly addressed the incident.
The FBI is the lead investigating agency. Bradshaw said there is "a lot more investigation to be done."
