An armed man was shot and killed Sunday after entering the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida, the U.S. Secret Service said.
The agency said the individual was observed near the north gate of the property early Sunday morning in the United States carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can. He was shot by Secret Service agents and a deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office after they confronted him. His name has not been released, and the incident remains under investigation.
Trump, who often spends weekends at the resort, was at the White House at the time of the shooting. First lady Melania Trump was also at the White House on Saturday night. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Secret Service statement said the incident, including the background of the victim, his motive and the force used against him, is currently under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Secret Service and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. It said that in accordance with consistent Secret Service policy, its agents involved in the incident have been placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
The incident comes against the backdrop of at least two assassination attempts that Trump survived after returning to the political spotlight. The first occurred on July 13, 2024, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire from a nearby rooftop, wounding Trump in his right ear and killing one rally attendee.
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Assassination attempt on Donald Trump during a campaign stop in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024
(Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The second attempt took place about two months later, on September 15, 2024, at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. In that case, a Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of a rifle protruding from bushes several hundred meters away from Trump. The suspect, Ryan Routh, fled the scene but was apprehended shortly afterward. Two weeks ago, he was sentenced to life in prison.
First published: 16:08, 02.22.26