A missing poster shows the man believed to have stormed Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida this morning with a shotgun.
He has been named as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, from North Carolina.
He was shot dead by Secret Service agents after raising his weapon in a “shooting position,” officials say.
The photo appeared on a missing person poster shared by Martin’s family days ago. Investigators confirmed he likely travelled from North Carolina before the incident.
Local police refused to comment on his status as a missing person and provided no further details.
Public records show Martin had no significant criminal history and voted in the 2024 US general election.
Spike in Political Violence Hits the US
While the motive remains unclear, this shooting comes amid rising political violence in America.
- Threats to Congress members surged 60% last year, Capitol Police reveal.
- An 18-year-old shotgun-wielding man was arrested near the Capitol just last week.
- In 2024, a gunshot grazed Trump’s ear during a Pennsylvania rally.
- The same year, a man with a semi-automatic rifle was spotted near Trump on a Florida golf course.
- In 2025, Democrat Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot.
- Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated months later.
- There was also an arson attack on Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence.
The tension around US politics is at a boiling point.
FBI Scrutinising Footage and Social Media
Retired FBI agent Ken Grey told Sky News that home surveillance cameras will be key to the probe.
“We live in a surveillance society. We have cameras absolutely everywhere… so it’s not surprising that they are looking at home cameras to try to give any type of suspicious activity in the neighbourhood around there.”
The FBI is digging into the suspect’s background, talking to family, friends, and scouring social media and devices.
Trump Notified Immediately, But Silent On Social Media
White House confirms Trump was “notified right away” about the shooting.
But the former president has yet to mention the incident on Truth Social. Instead, he posted attacks on the Obama Presidential Centre and congratulated the US hockey team.
Former Secret Service agent Barry Donadio explained why the agents used lethal force:
“That is a pump shotgun, so that’s quite capable of doing a lot of damage. It can hold anywhere from four to six rounds and is commonly used by law enforcement; it could also be used by the military. So if the Secret Service or the police see that you have that with you and you are on a compound trespassing and you do not comply, you run the risk of being shot by law enforcement.”
White House Calls Gunman a ‘Crazy Person’
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed the suspect, describing the incident as:
“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.”
Quick Action Prevented Further Danger
Sky News correspondent Adele Robinson reported that rapid response from agents ensured no one inside Mar-a-Lago was harmed during the 1:30am incident.
Mar-a-Lago Shooting: What We Know So Far
- A white man in his twenties drove into Mar-a-Lago at 1:30am, pulling through a gate as another vehicle exited.
- He carried a shotgun and a gas canister, according to the Secret Service.
- Agents ordered him to drop his weapons, but he raised the shotgun in a shooting stance;
- Agents opened fire and killed him.
- Trump and Melania were in Washington at the time.
- The man was reported missing days ago by his family.
- Investigators believe he armed himself en route from North Carolina.
- Palm Beach Sheriff Rick Bradshaw said the man is “not currently known” to law enforcement.
