Secret Service agents fatally shot an intruder who breached the security perimeter at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, early Sunday morning.
The incident unfolded at 1:30 a.m. when the suspect, described as a man in his early twenties from North Carolina, drove through the resort’s north gate while another vehicle was leaving the property. Both President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were at the White House when the breach occurred.
According to Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi, the intruder was carrying a shotgun and a gas can when he entered the restricted area. Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw explained during a news conference that two Secret Service agents and a deputy sheriff confronted the armed individual.
“He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with them. At which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw stated. The law enforcement officers then “fired their weapons to neutralize the threat.”
Sheriff Bradshaw confirmed that the suspect was not previously known to law enforcement authorities. The man’s family had reported him missing several days before the incident, and investigators believe he traveled south from North Carolina, acquiring the shotgun during his journey. Officials recovered the weapon’s packaging from his vehicle.
Federal investigators are requesting residents living near the resort to review their security footage for any material that might assist in the investigation. Authorities are currently developing a psychological profile of the suspect while working to determine his motives.
This security breach represents the latest in a series of threats against the former president. Trump survived an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania campaign rally on July 13, 2024, where he sustained injuries. Just two months later, on September 15, 2024, another armed individual was apprehended after positioning himself near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course while the president was playing. That suspect received a life sentence earlier this month.
The incident occurs amid a concerning pattern of political violence across the nation. Recent attacks have included the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the killing of Minnesota’s Democratic state House leader and her spouse, shootings targeting other lawmakers and their families, and an arson attack at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s official residence.
A separate security incident took place five days prior when U.S. Capitol Police arrested a Georgia man carrying a shotgun as he ran toward the Capitol’s west entrance.
