PALM BEACH, Fla. — U.S. Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed an armed man who breached the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago early Sunday morning, the agency confirmed.
The suspect, described as a male in his early 20s from North Carolina, was spotted around 1:30 a.m. near the north gate of President Donald Trump’s resort carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can. He had driven through the gate as another vehicle was exiting.
“An armed man was shot and killed by U.S. Secret Service agents and Palm Beach County Sheriff after unlawfully entering the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago early this morning,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi wrote on X.
Trump was not at the resort. Both the president and first lady Melania Trump were at the White House Saturday night, according to the Associated Press.
Guglielmi said the suspect had been reported missing by his family a few days earlier. Investigators believe he left North Carolina and drove south, purchasing a shotgun along the way. The box for the gun was recovered in his vehicle.
Secret Service agents confronted the man after he entered the property. He was fatally shot during the encounter. No law enforcement personnel were injured.
A motive has not been established. Investigators are working to build a psychological profile of the suspect, Guglielmi said. The man’s identity has not been publicly released.
The FBI and Palm Beach County officials scheduled a joint press briefing for 9:00 a.m. Sunday to provide additional details.
The incident marks the third known security threat targeting Trump in less than two years. On July 13, 2024, Trump was wounded during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. Two months later, on Sept. 15, 2024, a man with a rifle was apprehended after positioning himself near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course while the president played a round. That suspect was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month.
Security around Mar-a-Lago has been a persistent concern. The resort serves as Trump’s primary residence outside the White House and hosts foreign dignitaries and political allies on a regular basis.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
