CAMERON, N.C. — Family members are struggling to understand why a 21-year-old North Carolina groundskeeper drove through security barriers at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort with a shotgun, leading to his fatal shooting by law enforcement early Sunday morning.
Austin Tucker Martin, who maintained golf course grounds and enjoyed creating artwork, had little to no interest in political discussions and appeared uncomfortable around firearms, according to his cousin Braeden Fields, who grew up alongside Martin.
“I wouldn’t believe he would do something like this. It’s mind-blowing,” Fields stated. “He wouldn’t even hurt an ant. He doesn’t even know how to use a gun.”
According to Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, Martin breached the secured area at Mar-a-Lago during the early morning hours on Sunday and pointed a shotgun toward two Secret Service personnel and a Palm Beach County deputy, prompting them to open fire “to neutralize the threat.”
President Trump was not present at his Palm Beach, Florida, property during the incident, as he was located at the White House.
Law enforcement officials have yet to determine what motivated Martin’s actions. This marks another security incident at the resort, following two separate assassination attempts against Trump during his 2024 campaign, including one that occurred just miles away from Mar-a-Lago when an individual was discovered with a rifle while Trump played golf.
Secret Service representative Anthony Guglielmi revealed that investigators believe Martin purchased the shotgun during his journey to Florida. Officials confirmed that Martin’s family had filed a missing person report prior to the incident.
Despite growing up in central North Carolina where firearms and hunting are common activities, Martin consistently avoided handling weapons during family outings, Fields explained to reporters on Sunday.
Martin resided with his mother in a simple manufactured home accessible via an unpaved sandy road near Cameron. When reporters visited Monday, no one responded at the residence, and the heavy law enforcement presence from the previous day had departed.
Fields shared that Martin’s sister died in an automobile crash several years ago, and he has an older sibling serving in the military.
Martin had been employed for three years as grounds maintenance staff at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club.
“It’s tragic. I feel for his family,” expressed Kelly Miller, who serves as president of the golf facility in nearby Southern Pines. “It’s just unfortunate what transpired. It was totally unexpected.”
State documentation shows Martin established a business last year focused on selling his pen-and-ink drawings. An online portfolio associated with his company name displays illustrations featuring golf courses, architectural structures, and ancient Roman designs.
Political matters appeared absent from Martin’s interests, his cousin noted.
“We are big Trump supporters, all of us. Everybody,” Fields explained, but described his cousin as “real quiet, never really talked about anything.”
