Feb. 22, 2026 — Palm Beach, Fla. Two 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 at the north gate of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort around 1:30 a.m. EST and raised a shotgun in a firing position.[1][2]
Martin, who had been reported missing by family earlier that day to the Moore County Sheriff’s Department, entered on foot as a vehicle was exiting the gate. He carried a recently purchased shotgun and a gas canister, dropping the canister when ordered but then lifting the shotgun, prompting officers to fire and kill him at the scene. No injuries were reported among law enforcement or others, and President Trump was at the White House.[1][3]
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw described the confrontation at a press conference:
“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,” Bradshaw said. The two agents and the deputy “fired their weapons to neutralize the threat.”[1]
A shotgun box was found in Martin’s vehicle, and authorities believe he purchased the weapon en route south, according to U.S. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.[1]
The FBI is leading the investigation, with Director Kash Patel stating the bureau is “dedicating all necessary resources.” No motive has been identified, though investigators are compiling a psychological profile. Unverified social media claims have linked Martin to obsessions with Epstein files or political views.[1][4]
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt praised the response amid a partial government shutdown:
“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.”[1]
Martin’s cousin, Braeden Fields, described him as quiet and non-violent, from a family of Trump supporters, with no interest in politics or guns: “He’s a good kid. I wouldn’t believe he would do something like this. It’s mind-blowing.”[1][3] He worked at a local golf course and donated paychecks to charity.[10]
The incident occurs amid heightened political violence, following two 2024 assassination attempts on Trump.[1]
