Armed Intruder Shot At Mar-A-Lago Identified As Missing North Carolina Man

The armed man shot and killed while attempting to breach Mar-a-Lago early Sunday morning has been identified as Austin Tucker Martin, a North Carolina resident who had been reported missing just one day earlier.

Law enforcement sources confirmed that Martin, originally from Cameron, North Carolina, was carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a gas can when he approached the north gate of President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach property around 1:30 a.m.

Secret Service agents, working alongside a deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, confronted the suspect after detecting the unauthorized breach.

According to authorities, agents ordered Martin to drop the weapon and fuel can. When he refused to comply, shots were fired. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

President Trump and his family were not on the property at the time of the incident, the Secret Service confirmed. No agents or deputies were injured.

The FBI has taken the lead on the investigation.

“[The] FBI is dedicating all necessary resources in the investigation of this morning’s incident at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago where an armed individual was shot and killed after unlawfully entering the perimeter,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement posted to social media. “We will continue working closely with Secret Service as well as our state and federal partners.”

Martin’s family had reportedly been searching for him since Saturday, when he was declared missing. Social media posts reviewed by media outlets show relatives pleading for information about his whereabouts.

Public posts from Martin’s own accounts suggest a strong interest in golf course design, including drawings of courses in the Sandhurst region of England and in North Carolina.

Authorities have not publicly released information about a possible motive. The presence of a shotgun and fuel can has raised serious questions about what might have occurred had the suspect not been intercepted at the perimeter.

Mar-a-Lago, which serves as both a private club and the former president’s residence, is protected by a layered security apparatus including Secret Service agents, surveillance systems, and coordination with local law enforcement.

Security officials have emphasized that protective details are trained to respond swiftly to armed threats particularly at night, when unauthorized approaches are treated with heightened urgency.

Sunday’s incident underscores the persistent security risks surrounding high-profile political figures. Federal authorities are continuing to examine the circumstances leading up to the breach attempt, including how Martin traveled from North Carolina to South Florida.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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