An armed man suspected of breaching Mar-a-Lago’s secure perimeter was shot and killed by law enforcement officers early Sunday morning, February 22, according to the U.S. Secret Service.
The man was seen around 1:30 a.m. local time at the north gate of President Donald Trump’s compound in Palm Beach, Florida, and was “in possession of what appeared to be a shotgun and fuel can,” the Secret Service said in a news release. The president was in Washington during the incident and not at the resort.
Two Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County officer confronted the man before law enforcement shot him, authorities said. No agents were injured in the incident. Anthony Guglielmi, director of public affairs for the Secret Service, said in a statement that no one was under Secret Service protection at the time of the shooting.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw said at a news conference that Mar-a-Lago security detected a man entering the interior perimeter near the entrance to the property, prompting a deputy and two Secret Service agents to respond to the scene to investigate.
“They were confronted by a white man with a gas can and a shotgun,” Bradshaw said. “He was ordered to drop the two pieces of equipment he was carrying, at which time he placed a gas canister and raised the general into firing position. At that point, the aide and two Secret Service personnel fired their weapons, neutralizing the threat.”
Authorities have not released the identity of the man, but say he is in his early 20s. The FBI, Secret Service, and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office are all investigating the incident.
Officials said at a Feb. 22 press conference that the FBI is currently processing the scene. Authorities asked people living in the area to check security footage around their homes and report anything suspicious to the FBI or local authorities.
Asked if the man was known to law enforcement, Bradshaw said, “I don’t know at this time.” He said he could not yet confirm how many shots were fired because the incident is still under investigation.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Kathryn Palmer is USA TODAY’s political reporter. She can be reached at the following address: kapalmer@usatoday.com And to X@Kathryn Purml. Sign up for her daily politics newsletter here.
