Trump's Villa Break-In With Winchester Rifle

TEHRAN (Defapress) - In the early hours of Sunday morning, the US Secret Service shot and killed an armed assailant who had entered the grounds of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort and private club in Palm Beach, Florida. The incident occurred while Trump was at the White House and the first lady was with him. Mar-a-Lago is a beach resort and weekend retreat for Trump, but he was in Washington at the time of the incident.

Two Secret Service agents and a deputy went to the north gate of the property at about 1:30 a.m. Eastern time after a security team alerted them that someone had entered the compound. There, they were confronted by a white man carrying a Winchester rifle and a can of gasoline.

Bradshaw explained that he was ordered to drop the two items. The man put down the gas can but raised the gun to fire. At that point, the sheriff’s deputy and two Secret Service agents returned fire, neutralizing the threat. The gunman was killed at the scene.

Bradshaw stressed that no officers were injured and could not confirm whether the gunman’s gun was loaded. He showed reporters a photo of the Winchester rifle and the gas can. The sheriff’s office did not immediately identify the gunman, and when a reporter asked if the man was known to law enforcement, he said, “Not at this time.”

However, the Associated Press reported Sunday afternoon that investigators had identified the man as Austin Tucker Martin, 21. The information came from a person familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

The incident occurred just inside the main entrance to Mar-a-Lago on Southern Boulevard. The coastal road, which runs along the Atlantic Ocean, was closed to traffic Sunday morning as the investigation continued. The north gate of the sprawling property leads to a driveway that leads directly to the main lobby.

The Trump family's private residence is in a separate building on the other side of the resort. Trump often spends weekends at Mar-a-Lago during the winter. It is widely considered a private club for Palm Beach's wealthy elite, and Trump often hosts world leaders, political activists, and events there.

The Secret Service separately said the suspect was in his early 20s and from North Carolina. His family had reported him missing several days earlier. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said investigators believe he left North Carolina and headed south, picking up a Winchester rifle along the way.

The gun case was found in his vehicle. The man, who entered through the north gate of Mar-a-Lago as another vehicle was leaving, was confronted by Secret Service agents and was fatally shot by the agents.

The FBI is now compiling a psychological profile and determining the shooter’s motive. Brett Skiles, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Miami field office, said at a press conference that the FBI’s evidence response team is processing the scene of the shooting and gathering evidence and “will continue to investigate the scene as necessary.”

Skiles urged residents near the sprawling resort on the exclusive Palm Beach island to check their exterior cameras for any footage from Saturday night or early Sunday and to report anything suspicious or unusual.

Sunday’s incident bears similarities to a 2019 incident in which a Chinese woman bypassed security with multiple cell phones and a flash drive loaded with malware to gain access to the main lobby of Mar-a-Lago. It was one of several incidents during Trump’s first term that highlighted the club’s lax security, which he often called his “winter White House.”

In July 2024, Trump was wounded in an assassination attempt while addressing a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A bullet grazed his ear and killed several spectators. Then, on September 15 of that year, a man with a gun was arrested waiting for him near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach. He had apparently pointed the gun through the compound fence. The man was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month. Last week, police in Washington arrested a Georgia man who ran toward the west side of the U.S. Capitol armed with a shotgun.

The incident reflects a significant increase in domestic discontent in the United States, largely due to Trump’s actions and policies, to the point that plans to assassinate him are being made by young people of Generation Z. Mar-a-Lago is not only a personal resort but also a center for political and social activity, further highlighting the significance of the incident.

The FBI is still investigating further details to prevent future incidents. Despite the rapid neutralization of the threat, the incident raises serious questions about the security of the US President’s private residence and the impact of Trump’s policies on society.