Feb. 22, 2026 — Palm Beach, Fla. U.S. Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy fatally shot 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin from Cameron, North Carolina, after he breached the secure perimeter of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort around 1:30 a.m., authorities said. Martin, armed with a shotgun and a gas canister, was confronted at the north gate, ordered to drop the items, but raised the shotgun to a shooting position, prompting officers to fire.
The intruder did not enter any buildings on the property, and President Trump was not present, as he had been at a White House event the previous evening. No law enforcement officers were injured.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw described the confrontation during a Sunday morning press conference:
They confronted a white male that was carrying a gas can and a shotgun. 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. At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat. He is deceased at the scene.[1]
The U.S. Secret Service confirmed the man entered the perimeter carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can. The two agents involved have been placed on routine administrative leave pending the investigation.
The FBI is leading the probe into Martin’s background, actions, potential motive, and the use of force, alongside the Secret Service and sheriff’s office. FBI Director Kash Patel stated on X that the agency is “dedicating all necessary resources in the investigation of this morning’s incident at President Trump’s Mar-A-Lago.”
Martin, a recent high school graduate who started an artwork company specializing in golf course drawings, had been reported missing by family members on social media, including his mother on Facebook. Authorities believe he drove from North Carolina on Saturday afternoon.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt commented on X: “The Secret Service ‘acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person.’ ‘Federal law enforcement are working 24/7 to keep our country safe and protect all Americans.’”
The incident occurs amid heightened concerns over political violence, following two assassination attempts against Trump in 2024.
