Arabic version: تم إطلاق النار على متسلل مسلح حتى الموت في إقامة ترامب مارا لاغو

An armed man has been shot dead after entering the secure perimeter of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, according to BBC News. The incident happened around 01:30 ET on Sunday morning, when Trump was in Washington, D.C. The suspect has been named as 21-year-old Austin T. Martin of Cameron, North Carolina, and he was reportedly carrying a shotgun and a fuel can when he was confronted by Secret Service agents and a Sheriff’s deputy.

Authorities revealed that Martin’s family had reported him missing in the early hours of Sunday morning. The Moore County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that they had no prior records concerning Martin and had turned over missing persons information to federal authorities. Investigators are currently looking into whether Martin bought the gun along the driving route he took from North Carolina to Florida.

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi stated that agents fired at Martin after they saw him “unlawfully entering the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago early this morning”. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw noted that officers instructed Martin to drop his items, but he complied only partially, putting down the fuel can and raising the shotgun to a shooting position before agents responded with lethal force. No law enforcement personnel were injured during the incident, and officers were equipped with body cameras.

The FBI is assisting with the ongoing investigation, which will include determining whether the shotgun was loaded at the time of the confrontation. Following the incident, US Secret Service Director Sean Curran traveled to Florida for “after-actions” and to oversee operational responses and communications regarding critical incidents at the property, which is heavily secured against potential threats.