MIAMI, United States: The US Secret Service said its agents shot and killed an armed man early Sunday after he breached the security perimeter of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
The incident occurred at around 1:30am local time (0630 GMT), the agency said. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were at the White House in Washington at the time.
In a statement, the Secret Service said a man in his early 20s was observed near the north gate of the property “unlawfully entering the secure perimeter” while carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can.
Confrontation at the gate
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said agents confronted the suspect after he drove through the north gate as another vehicle was exiting.
“The only words that we said to him was ‘drop the items’ which means the gas can and the shotgun,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters.
According to Bradshaw, the man put down the fuel can but then raised the shotgun into a shooting position.
A Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy and two Secret Service agents opened fire.
The individual was pronounced dead at the scene.
No law enforcement officers were injured, and no Secret Service protectees were present at the property, officials said.
The agents involved will be placed on administrative leave pending an investigation, in line with agency policy.
Investigation underway
The suspect’s name has not been released as authorities seek to notify his family.
Investigators said the man was from North Carolina and had been reported missing by relatives several days earlier.
Officials believe he travelled south and obtained a shotgun along the way. The box for the firearm was recovered from his vehicle.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other authorities are investigating the man’s background and motive.
Officials said they are compiling a psychological profile as part of the inquiry.
History of threats
The episode is the latest in a series of security incidents involving Trump, who frequently spends weekends at his Florida residence.
In July 2024, Trump was wounded when a gunman opened fire during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
A bullet grazed his right ear and a rally attendee was killed.
The attacker, identified as 20-year-old Matthew Crooks, was shot dead at the scene. His motive remains unclear.
Two months later, in September 2024, a man armed with a rifle was arrested near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach.
Prosecutors said he had waited near the course while Trump was playing.
The suspect, 59-year-old Ryan Routh, was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month.
