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, around 1:30 a.m. after he breached the secure perimeter at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort while armed with a shotgun and a fuel can.
The intruder entered through the north gate, where he was confronted by two Secret Service agents and one deputy, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. Officers ordered him to drop the items.
“The only words that we said to him was ‘drop the items’, which means the gas can and the shotgun,” Bradshaw said. “He put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position… [they] fired their weapons and neutralized the threat.”
Martin complied by dropping the fuel can but raised the shotgun, prompting law enforcement to open fire. He was declared dead at the scene. Agents wore body cameras during the encounter, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed.
No law enforcement officers or protectees were injured. President Trump was in Washington, D.C., at the time and not present at the resort.
Photo shows the shotgun and gas can carried by the intruder, as released by authorities (NBC News).
Martin had been reported missing by his family early Sunday morning. The shotgun box was found in his vehicle, a 2013 silver Volkswagen Tiguan, suggesting he purchased it en route from North Carolina, per Guglielmi. Those who knew him, including cousin Braeden Fields, described him as quiet, afraid of guns, and from a family of Trump supporters who rarely discussed politics.
The FBI is investigating and has dedicated resources to the probe, Director Kash Patel said. Secret Service agents involved have been placed on routine administrative leave.
“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,” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated.
The incident marks another security event at Mar-a-Lago amid prior threats to Trump, including 2024 assassination attempts. Authorities are reviewing footage from nearby residents.
An armed man was killed by U.S. Secret Service on Feb. 22 after he breached Trump's Mar-a-Lago property, the latest threat against the president. https://t.co/something
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) February 22, 2026
USA Today reports on X frame the event as the latest threat to Trump.
