The US Secret Service shot and killed an armed man early Sunday after he breached a secured perimeter near President Donald Trump’s Mar a Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Authorities said the suspect was carrying a shotgun and a gas canister when agents confronted him shortly after 1:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Trump was at the White House at the time of the incident.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw said a sheriff’s deputy and two Secret Service agents responded after the man entered a restricted area near the property’s north gate. The suspect was ordered to drop the items he was holding. He set down the gas canister but raised the shotgun into what officials described as a shooting position. The deputy and agents then opened fire, fatally wounding him.
The man, believed to be in his early 20s, has not been publicly identified pending notification of his family. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched a probe into the shooting, which is standard procedure in cases involving federal agents.
The incident immediately drew national attention given Mar a Lago’s status as both a private club and one of Trump’s primary residences. The estate has been under heightened security since Trump left office, with federal protection extended due to ongoing threats against him.
Security around Trump has faced repeated tests in recent years. In July 2024, a gunman opened fire from a rooftop during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, before being killed by a Secret Service sniper. Two months later, another suspect was arrested after allegedly waiting with a rifle outside a golf course where Trump was playing. That individual was later convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
Sunday’s confrontation unfolded in the early morning hours when access to the Palm Beach property is tightly controlled. Law enforcement officials said the suspect breached a secure perimeter near the north gate, prompting an immediate tactical response. According to Sheriff Bradshaw, the suspect’s refusal to comply fully with commands escalated the situation within seconds.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Secret Service acted quickly and decisively in response to the threat. She also linked the incident to broader political tensions in Washington, criticizing Democrats amid a partial government shutdown that has affected the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service.
The Department of Homeland Security has been closed for more than a week due to a funding dispute. Democrats have sought changes to the department’s immigration enforcement practices before approving additional funding, following the fatal shooting of two US citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis. The shutdown has added strain to federal operations, though officials have not indicated that it directly impacted Sunday’s security response.
As investigators work to determine the suspect’s motives, authorities are reviewing surveillance footage and forensic evidence from the scene. The FBI is expected to examine whether the individual acted alone and whether any prior threats were made.
The shooting underscores the continued security challenges facing federal protective services as political tensions remain high. With Trump actively engaged in national politics, law enforcement agencies are likely to maintain an elevated security posture at Mar a Lago and other locations associated with the former president in the weeks ahead.
