In the early hours of Sunday morning, a tense security confrontation unfolded outside President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate — ending in gunfire and the death of a 21-year-old North Carolina man. Now, as federal investigators work to piece together what led to the breach, family members are grappling with disbelief.
Authorities identified the man as Austin Tucker Martin of Moore County, North Carolina. According to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, Martin made an “unauthorized entry” through the north gate of the Palm Beach resort around 1:30 a.m., slipping in as another vehicle exited the property.
Sheriff Bradshaw said Martin was seen carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can. He was confronted by Secret Service agents and a sheriff’s deputy.
“He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him – at which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw told reporters. “At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat.”
Martin was pronounced dead at the scene. President Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago at the time; he was in Washington, D.C.
Back in North Carolina, the news stunned those who knew him.
Braeden Fields, Martin’s 19-year-old cousin, described him to The Associated Press as quiet, generous, and uninterested in politics. “He’s a good kid,” Fields said. “I wouldn’t believe he would do something like this. It’s mind-blowing.”
Fields said Martin worked at a local golf course and would donate some of his earnings to charity. “He wouldn’t even hurt an ant. He doesn’t even know how to use a gun,” he added.
Despite coming from what Fields described as a family of strong Trump supporters, he said Martin “never really talked about anything” political and kept to himself.
The timeline adds another layer of heartbreak. Around 1:38 a.m. Sunday — minutes after the breach — Martin’s family reported him missing, according to the Moore County Sheriff’s Office. A neighbor told WRAL News she saw Martin’s mother go to a gas station to file the report.
“She had no idea where he was,” neighbor Cindy Carlyle said. “She was very upset.” Carlyle recalled the mother mentioning a text message from her son that read, “I’m okay, I love you.”
Local authorities in North Carolina said they had no prior history with Martin and have since turned over relevant information to federal investigators. Officials are now working to develop a psychological profile as they attempt to determine motive and mental state.
