Austin Tucker Martin, 21, of North Carolina, was shot dead early Sunday after breaching the secure perimeter of the Mar-a-Lago estate—home of President Donald J Trump. This marks the third apparent threat to President Trump’s life in less than two years. President Trump was not home during the incident as he was in White House.
According to the U.S. Secret Service, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 22, Martin entered the property’s north gate as another vehicle was exiting. He was carrying a shotgun and a fuel canister.
Two Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy confronted Martin and ordered him to drop the items. He complied by setting down the fuel can but then raised the shotgun into a firing position, prompting the officers to open fire, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a news conference.
Martin was pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were injured. The FBI is leading the investigation.
Investigators believe Martin acted alone, with no evidence of accomplices, according to law enforcement officials familiar with the probe who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, Reuters reports.
A motive has not been determined, though Martin’s family had reported him missing the previous day, stating he hadn’t been seen since Feb. 21.
Authorities found a box for the shotgun in his vehicle, and investigators are reviewing any security footage from nearby residents to piece together his movements.
Martin, a recent high school graduate from Moore County, North Carolina, had started a small business creating handmade drawings of golf courses.
Sunday’s incident follows two assassination attempts on President Trump during his 2024 campaign. In July 2024, a gunman wounded Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. In September 2024, Ryan Routh was arrested after aiming a rifle at Trump on a West Palm Beach golf course; Routh was later convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
Author: Mario Lotmore
