From the Miami Herald: Not much beyond artistic talent and where he lived is known about Austin Tucker Martin, the suspect fatally shot after authorities said he pointed a shotgun at law enforcement officers on the grounds of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach.
Martin died after being shot about 700 miles from his North Carolina home. He was 21.
The report states that Martin lived in the small town of Cameron, Moore County, North Carolina with his parents and an older brother, in a 4-bedroom ranch house.
He voted on Election Day in 2024, but didn’t declare a party affiliation, and had no previous criminal record. His older sister, Caitlin, died at the age of 21 while hospitalized in 2023, but her cause of death is unknown.
According to the Moore County Sheriff’s Office, a family member had reported Martin missing Sunday morning at 1:38 a.m., which, ironically, was about the same time that he was shot and killed while trying to breach the Mar-a-Lago estate grounds. The family reportedly said on social media that they hadn’t heard from Martin since just before 8 p.m. Saturday.
🚨#BREAKING: It has been revealed that the man who attempted to enter Mar-A-Lago with a shotgun and gas can was Austin Tucker Martin, a 21-year-old from North Carolina.
His family reported him missing to the police on Saturday.
What is happening to my beautiful state????!!!! pic.twitter.com/kIgAaCgGK8
— Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) February 22, 2026
Moore was an artist, and his only social media presence appears to be an Instagram page where he shared his drawings.
View this post on Instagram
Since President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were attending a Governor’s Dinner at the White House Saturday evening, they were not at Mar-a-Lago when the incident occurred.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced earlier Sunday morning, “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. We will continue working closely with @SecretService as well our state and federal partners and will provide updates as we are able.”
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. We will continue working closely with @SecretService as well our…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) February 22, 2026
READ MORE from the Miami Herald.
What we know about the man shot dead at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate https://t.co/aSXXQfRVGi
— Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) February 22, 2026
BREAKING: Law enforcement shot and killed armed man trying to enter Mar-a-Lago
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