The White House says the gunman killed at Trump's residence was a "crazy person"

BarcelonaThe US Secret Service, responsible for the president's security, shot and killed a 21-year-old man on Sunday who had entered the security perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump's resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Although Trump usually spends weekends there, at the time of the incident, both he and his wife, Melania Trump, were at the White House. The intruder, identified as Austin Tucker Martin, was from North Carolina, and his family had reported him missing a few days earlier. According to US authorities, the individual was spotted near the north gate of the property with what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can in the early morning hours. The incident comes amid a rise in political violence in the United States. In 2024, A bullet grazed Trump's ear during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Later, another man—later convicted of attempted murder—was found hiding in the brush of a Florida golf course with a semiautomatic rifle while the president was playing.

Palm Beach Sheriff Rick Bradshaw explained that the young man had entered through the north gate of Mar-a-Lago as another vehicle was leaving and confronted Secret Service agents. "He was ordered to drop the two objects he was carrying. At that moment, he dropped the gas can and raised the shotgun in a firing position," the sheriff explained. Both agents and the deputy "fired to neutralize the threat." In the exchange of gunfire, no agents were injured, while the suspect died instantly.

"A crazy person"

The intruder's motives are still unknown. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Secret Service "acted swiftly and decisively to neutralize a deranged individual, armed with a handgun and a gasoline can, who had broken into President Trump's home." The FBI, which has taken over the investigation, has asked all residents in the area to review their security camera footage in case the images can help investigators, who are working to develop a psychological profile of the assailant, who had no prior criminal record. Sunday's incident at Mar-a-Lago also comes amid growing political polarization that in recent months has led to episodes of violence. Last year alone saw the murders of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Minnesota Democratic leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, the shooting of another legislator and his wife, and an arson attack on the official residence of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.