Mar A Lago: mar a lago suspect identified as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin

Law enforcement have confirmed that the man armed with a shotgun and a gas canister at President Donald Trump’s Florida home was 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin. The confrontation ended when Secret Service agents fatally shot the man after he drove through the north gate as another vehicle was exiting.

Investigation and timeline

Investigators believe Martin left North Carolina and headed south, picking up a shotgun along the way, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said. The box for the gun was recovered in his vehicle, Guglielmi added. The man was confronted at the north gate and was fatally shot after entering the perimeter.

Missing-person report details

The Moore County Sheriff’s Department in North Carolina said a relative of Martin reported him missing early on Sunday morning. posted to Facebook, the Moore County Sheriff’s Office wrote: "The Moore County Sheriff’s Office confirms that on February 22, 2026, at approximately 1: 38 a. m., a relative of 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin approached a deputy at a local business and reported him missing. He was subsequently entered into a national missi" — unclear in the provided context.

Mar A Lago security context

Sunday’s episode drew immediate comparisons with a 2019 incident in which a Chinese woman carrying multiple cellphones and a computer thumb drive bearing malware gained access to the main lobby of Mar-a-Lago after evading security. That event was one of a number of incidents during Trump’s first term that prompted accusations of lax security at the club, which he has often called his "winter White House. "

Past incidents and related arrests

The recent shooting arrives amid several high-profile security events. In July, 2024, Trump was wounded during an assassination attempt as he spoke at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, during the presidential election campaign; a bullet grazed his ear and some spectators were killed. Then on 15 September of the same year a man with a rifle was captured after waiting near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach while the president played a round; he appeared to be pointing the weapon through a perimeter fence and was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month. Last Wednesday, police in Washington arrested a man from Georgia who was armed with a loaded shotgun and sprinted towards the west side of the US Capitol building.

Official responses and reactions

Donald Trump is yet to respond to the incident, but the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a post on a social platform on Sunday: "In the middle of the night while most Americans were asleep, the United States Secret Service acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person, armed with a gun and a gas canister, who intruded President Trump’s home. Federal law enforcement are working 24/7 to keep our country safe and protect all Americans. It’s shameful and reckless that Democrats have chosen to shut down their Department. "

Asked by journalists yesterday whether the suspect was previously known to law enforcement, Palm Beach county sheriff Ric Bradshaw said "not right now. " Investigators are continuing to compile a psychological profile and establish a motive.

European reaction and trade implications

News said on Monday the European Union is poised to freeze the ratification process of its trade deal with the US and is seeking more details from President Donald Trump’s administration on its new tariff program. Zeljana Zovko, the lead trade negotiator in the European People’s Party group on the US deal, said the EU has "no other option" but to delay the approval process to seek clarity on the situation. The center-right EPP group is the largest political bloc in the European parliament.

Richard Luscombe is a reporter for Guardian US based in Miami, Florida.

Investigations into the shooting at Mar-a-Lago remain active. Authorities continue to gather evidence, compile a psychological profile of Austin Tucker Martin, and work to establish a motive while law enforcement agencies handle follow-up procedures.