A gunman was shot and killed after entering Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, the Secret Service said
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The US Secret Service said on Sunday that its agents shot and killed a man in his 20s after he illegally entered a secure compound at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla.
The Secret Service said in a statement that at approximately 1:30 a.m. Sunday, a man in his early 20s was shot by US Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) deputy after “unauthorized entry into a secured area at Mar-a-Lago.”
Although Trump often spends weekends at his resort, he was in the White House at the time of the incident. First lady Melania Trump was with the president on Saturday night.
The man’s identity is being withheld pending next of kin notification, according to the federal law enforcement agency.
“He was observed at the north gate of the Mar-a-Lago property carrying what appeared to be a handgun and a gas can,” the statement read.
It is reported that Secret Service agents and a PBSO deputy confronted the man and law enforcement opened fire. No Secret Service or PBSO officials were injured, the statement said.
“The incident, including the man’s background, actions, possible motive and use of force, is being investigated by the FBI, the US Secret Service and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.”
Trump has faced threats before
Trump has faced threats to his life before. He was wounded in an assassination attempt during a campaign in Butler, Pa., on July 13, 2024.
Then on September 15, 2024, a man with a gun was caught after waiting near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Fla., while the president played a round. He was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month.
The latest incident comes as the US has been rocked several times in recent years by political violence.
Just last year, that included the killing of the Democratic leader of the Minnesota state House and her husband and the shooting of another lawmaker and his wife; the arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official residence; and the murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk,
Entryon Sunday at Trump’s Florida hoaway from his West Palm Beach golf club, where a man tried to kill him while he was playing golf during the 2024 election.
A Secret Service agent saw the man, Ryan Routh, pointing a gun at a tree before Trump showed up. Officials say Routh pointed his gun at the agent, who opened fire and Routh dropped his weapon. Routh was convicted last year and sentenced to life in prison this month.
The incident occurred months after Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The gunman fired eight shots, one of which grazed Trump’s ear, before being shot by a Secret Service counter shooter.
The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
