The armed man shot on February 22 while attempting to breach Trump's estate was 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin. He loved painting golf courses and came from a family of supporters of the sitting U.S. president.
An armed man who breached the secured area around U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on the night of Sunday, February 22, and was shot by Secret Service agents, was identified as 21-year-old artist Austin Tucker Martin from Cameron, North Carolina. His identity was confirmed by American media, based on a statement from the Moore County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina and posts from the deceased's family members.
The law enforcement press release stated that on Sunday night, a relative of Martin contacted the sheriff to report him missing since Saturday evening, after which the American was entered into the national missing persons database. Shortly thereafter, federal authorities notified the sheriff's office "of an active investigation in Florida regarding Martin."
"At their request, information regarding the missing person case was forwarded to federal investigators. The Moore County Sheriff’s Office had no cases related to Martin prior to the report of his disappearance. Any questions regarding the shooting or related investigative actions should be directed to the FBI office in Miami and the U.S. Secret Service," the sheriff's office noted.
Martin's relatives: He loved painting landscapes at golf clubs and was not interested in weapons Martin was described as "very quiet" and inexperienced with firearms, while he loved painting at golf clubs and worked at one, his cousin Braden Fields told ABC News. According to him, Martin regularly posted photos and drawings of golf courses on social media, and in 2025, he founded a company specializing in such commissioned works.
Fields also noted that his relative was not interested in weapons. "We took him shooting, but he didn’t even touch the gun. The only thing he used was a BB gun," he said.
Fields further stated that all of Martin's family members are "big Trump supporters." However, he said the deceased "never really talked about politics, didn’t want to get involved in it." In the state’s voter registration lists, Martin, as reported by The New York Times, is registered as an independent voter, meaning he is not affiliated with any party.
Authorities: Shot after Martin raised the shotgun in a firing position
The armed man attempted to breach Mar-a-Lago around 1:30 local time. It was noted that he drove through the open gates of Trump's estate as another vehicle was exiting. According to Martin's family members, he went missing after leaving in a silver Volkswagen. The same vehicle, according to the Palm Beach County sheriff in Florida, was found near the scene.
Another law enforcement official stated that the intruder was "ordered to drop two items he had with him." "At that moment, he lowered a gas canister and raised the shotgun in a firing position," the sheriff said. After that, two agents and a deputy sheriff "fired their weapons to neutralize the threat."
The sheriff's office also released a photo of the shotgun and gas canister that Martin allegedly brought with him.
