A tense security incident unfolded early Sunday morning after US Secret Service agents and a sheriff’s deputy fatally shot an armed man who attempted to breach the security perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, the Florida estate owned by former US President Donald Trump.
According to officials, the incident occurred at approximately 1:30 am local time. At the time, Trump was in Washington, and no individuals under Secret Service protection were present at the estate. Authorities confirmed that the suspect, believed to be in his early 20s, was spotted near the north gate carrying a shotgun and a fuel container.
Agents from the United States Secret Service confronted the man and repeatedly instructed him to drop his weapons. Ric Bradshaw, Sheriff of Palm Beach County, stated that officers told the suspect to drop both the shotgun and the fuel container. While the individual placed the fuel container on the ground, he then raised the shotgun into a firing position, prompting officers to respond with lethal force.
The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene, and no law enforcement personnel were injured. The White House issued no immediate response following the incident.
This event marks the latest security scare involving Trump, who has faced multiple assassination attempts in recent years. Earlier this month, Ryan Routh, who plotted to assassinate Trump at a Florida golf course in 2024, was sentenced to life in prison. That plot followed another assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, where a gunman fired at Trump during a rally, injuring him and killing a spectator.
Political violence has continued to rise across the United States. In September 2025, conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on a Utah college campus, further highlighting the nation’s deep political divisions.
Authorities have not yet released the suspect’s name as they work to notify his family. Investigations into the motive are ongoing.
