Officials say the man carried a gas canister and raised a shotgun before officers fired.
PALM BEACH, Fla. — A 21-year-old North Carolina man was shot and killed after slipping into the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago early Sunday, authorities said, a confrontation that unfolded in minutes and left investigators searching for a motive as they reviewed video, tracked travel records, and examined evidence found in a nearby vehicle.
The shooting near a property owned by President Donald Trump set off a joint investigation involving federal and local agencies and raised new questions about what drove the man, identified as Austin Tucker Martin, to travel to Palm Beach armed. Officials have said Trump was in Washington at the time. Authorities have not released a detailed timeline of Martin’s movements before he reached the gate, but they have described a brief encounter in which officers ordered him to drop items and opened fire after he raised a weapon.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the incident happened around 1:30 a.m. Sunday near the resort’s north gate, an entrance that can open as employees come and go overnight. Bradshaw said Martin slipped through the gate as it opened to allow employees to leave the property. A deputy and two U.S. Secret Service agents assigned to the detail went to the area to investigate, Bradshaw said at a public briefing. He said Martin was ordered to drop what he was holding. Bradshaw said Martin let go of a gas canister, then lifted a shotgun into a firing position. “At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat,” Bradshaw said.
Authorities have not said how many shots were fired or exactly where Martin was standing when officers opened fire. They also have not released the names of the agents or deputy involved, which is common in active federal investigations. Officials said the goal now is to document each step in the encounter, including commands given, distance and lighting conditions, and how quickly the situation changed. Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage from the gate area and nearby streets, looking for angles that show Martin’s approach, whether he hesitated, and if any other people were nearby at the time.
Bradshaw said investigators believe Martin left a car down the street, possibly near Midtown Beach. Inside the vehicle, detectives found the box for the shotgun, Bradshaw said. Authorities also said investigators found writings that referenced the Epstein files, though officials have not publicly described the contents. Investigators are treating the writings as one possible clue to Martin’s state of mind, but they have not said whether the papers explain why he chose Mar-a-Lago, why he came at night, or why he carried a gas canister. Officials emphasized that the motive has not been determined and that evidence is still being analyzed.
Another focus is how Martin obtained the shotgun and how recently he acquired it. A Secret Service spokesperson said investigators believe Martin bought the shotgun while driving to Florida. Authorities have not released the location of that purchase or whether it involved a licensed dealer. Investigators are also trying to confirm the route Martin took from North Carolina, where he stayed along the way, and whether he communicated with anyone about his destination. In cases like this, investigators typically seek phone records, receipts, and surveillance video from businesses along the travel corridor to build a clearer picture of the days and hours before the encounter.
Authorities said Martin lived with his parents in North Carolina and worked as a golf course groundskeeper. Officials said he also drew and sold sketches of golf courses, work that required him to study layouts and take photographs. People who knew him described him as quiet and not especially talkative. A head golf professional who met him last year said Martin seemed to the point when he asked to photograph a course, then moved on. A cousin told investigators Martin rarely spoke about politics, seemed afraid of guns, and came from a family of Trump supporters. The contrast between those descriptions and the actions that ended at the gate is part of what investigators are trying to explain.
Officials said Martin’s family had recently reported him missing, a detail that can shape how investigators interpret the days before a violent incident. Authorities have not described when the missing report was filed or what concerns were raised, but investigators are expected to interview relatives and friends to understand whether Martin showed signs of distress, fixation, or sudden changes in behavior. Investigators are also looking for any writings, messages, or searches that show why he chose Mar-a-Lago and what he expected to find there, including whether he knew Trump was not at the property.
Bradshaw rejected the idea that the security footprint failed, saying the response showed the system working as designed. When asked whether security would be upgraded, he said it was not necessary. “It worked like it was supposed to work,” he said, pointing to the number of deputies and Secret Service personnel on scene who were able to detect Martin after he crossed into the protected area. Officials have not announced any specific changes to gate procedures, staffing, or access rules. Even so, investigators are expected to document how Martin slipped in as the gate opened, how quickly he was seen, and what barriers existed between him and occupied areas of the property.
The case also lands in a moment of heightened focus on political security after multiple threats and attempts against public officials in recent years. Federal officials have not described this incident as an assassination attempt, and they have not said Martin targeted Trump personally. Still, investigators are treating the breach as a serious protective event because it involved an armed intruder and a location tied to the president. Officials said the review will likely cover communication between federal and local officers, the sequence of commands, and the evidence trail that begins with the car left nearby and extends back through Martin’s trip from North Carolina.
Authorities have not filed criminal charges because the suspect is dead, but officials said they will continue to release information as evidence is verified. Investigators are expected to complete additional interviews, finalize a timeline of Martin’s travel and weapon purchase, and finish reviewing surveillance video before offering a fuller account of what happened and why. For now, officials say the investigation remains active and that key questions about motive and preparation are still unanswered.
Author note: Last updated February 24, 2026.