Family of man, 21, shot dead by police at Mar-a-Lago express disbelief: ‘We are big Trump supporters, all of us’

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The 21-year-old man shot and killed by Secret Service agents after allegedly attempting to break into President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in the early hours of Sunday came from a family of “avid Trump supporters,” according to a relative.

The FBI confirmed the suspect was Austin Tucker Martin, who entered the premises at the resort’s north gate armed with a shotgun and a gas canister around 1:30 a.m. Sunday.

Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, were not at the Florida residence at the time.

The couple was in Washington, D.C., on Saturday night for a dinner with state governors, but the president often spends the weekend at the residence, where he golfs on Sundays.

Martin, of Moore County, North Carolina, was reported missing from his home Saturday by his family, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.

open image in gallery The president and first lady were in Washington when the incident in Florida took place ( AFP/Getty )

open image in gallery The shotgun and gas canister law enforcement found the suspect carrying when he broke into Mar-a-Lago ( Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office )

Martin’s cousin, Braeden Fields, told the Associated Press of his disbelief over the incident and described the family as “avid Trump supporters.”

“We are big Trump supporters, all of us. Everybody,” Fields, 19, said, but added his cousin was “real quiet, never really talked about anything.”

“He's a good kid,” Fields told the outlet. “I wouldn't believe he would do something like this. It's mind-blowing.”

He said Martin worked at a local golf course and would send money from each paycheck to charity.

open image in gallery Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw showed reporters the picture of the shotgun and gas canister at a press conference Sunday. He said the suspect ‘raised the shotgun to a shooting position’ when confronted by law enforcement. ( Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office )

open image in gallery A Secret Service security tower at Mar-a-Lago, pictured February 22, after agents confronted the suspect and fatally shot him following the security breach. ( Reuters )

“He wouldn't even hurt an ant. He doesn't even know how to use a gun,” Fields said.

At a Sunday morning press conference, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said two Secret Service agents and a deputy confronted the suspect and told him to drop the gas can and his shotgun.

The suspect then “raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” said Bradshaw.

“The only words we said to him was ‘drop the items,’” Bradshaw told reporters. “He put the gas can down and pointed the shotgun at the officers.”

Law enforcement officers were not injured in the incident.

The FBI is leading the investigation, Bradshaw added.

open image in gallery A vehicle blocks access to a property in Cameron, North Carolina, where suspect Austin Tucker Martin was from. ( AP )

open image in gallery Trump is in Washington, D.C. this weekend, along with the first lady, but often spends the weekend at his Florida residence, where he golfs on Sundays. ( Reuters )

Trump is yet to comment publicly on the shooting but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt praised the Secret Service for acting “quickly and decisively” — and used the opportunity to blame Democrats because of the partial government shutdown.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said she has spoken with Trump and is working with federal partners on the investigation.

“Grateful that @potus and our law enforcement agents are safe,” Bondi added in a post on X.

FBI director Kash Patel said the bureau was dedicating “all necessary resources” into the investigation in a brief statement on social media.

“FBI is dedicating all necessary resources in the investigation of this morning’s incident at President Trump’s Mar-A-Lago - where an armed individual was shot and killed after unlawfully entering the perimeter,” Patel said in a post on X. “We will continue working closely with @SecretService as well our state and federal partners and will provide updates as we are able.”

Trump has faced threats to his life before, including an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024.

And on September 15, 2024, a man with a rifle was captured after waiting near Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach while the president played a round. He was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month.