Aman was shot and killed by law enforcement after “unlawfully entering” the grounds of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, in the early hours of Sunday morning, the Secret Service said.
The man, believed to be in his early 20s, was seen near the north gate of the estate carrying “what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can,” according to a statement by the Secret Service on X. Law enforcement officers, including two Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County deputy, confronted the individual before opening fire.
President Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago at the time of the shooting. The suspect was declared dead at the scene, and no law enforcement officers were injured, officials said.
At a Sunday morning news conference, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw described the incident in detail. He said that at 1:30 a.m., a deputy and two Secret Service agents confronted a “white male” who had penetrated the inner perimeter of the property while holding a gas can and a shotgun.
“He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him, at which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw said. “At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat.”
Bradshaw shared photographs of the shotgun and gas can with the media during the briefing. Investigations into the suspect’s background, potential motive, and the use of force are ongoing. The FBI, the Secret Service, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office are all involved, officials said.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News Sunday that he spoke with Trump, noting that the president and his family “shouldn’t have to endure attempt after attempt.” FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed on X that the agency would be “dedicating all necessary resources” to the investigation.
The shooting comes after multiple prior security incidents involving Trump. In July 2024, he survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, in which one person in the audience was killed and two were critically injured. The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was shot and killed by law enforcement.
In September 2024, Secret Service agents discovered a man with a rifle hiding near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. That individual, later identified as Ryan Routh, was found guilty in September 2025 of attempting to assassinate the President.Sunday’s Mar-a-Lago incident marks another serious breach of security at the Florida estate, raising renewed concern over the safety of the former president and his family, even when not on site. Authorities have said the investigation will continue, and additional details are expected as they review the circumstances of the fatal encounter.
