The family of Austin Tucker Martin, the 21-year-old who was killed by the Secret Service early on Sunday morning in Florida, is bewildered by the situation that occurred at Mar-a-Lago, residence of former President Donald Trump. According to a cousin, Martin’s entire family is “ardent supporters of Trump” and do not understand what led the young man to invade the property armed.
According to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, Martin entered the residence through the north gate armed with a shotgun and carrying a gasoline can. “The only words we said to him were ‘put everything on the ground,’ the gasoline and the shotgun. At that moment, he dropped the gasoline and raised the shotgun into firing position,” Bradshaw explained. It was at this point that the officers fired, neutralizing the threat.
Austin Tucker Martin, who is from Moore County, North Carolina, had been reported missing by his family on Saturday. He lived with his parents and an older brother on a rural property. According to the Moore County Sheriff’s Office, there was no criminal history associated with the young man prior to his disappearance.
Braeden Fields, Martin’s cousin, described him as a young man who was “quiet and never talked about anything” and assured everyone: “He was a good boy; I would never believe he could do something like this, it’s unbelievable. He wouldn’t harm even an ant. He doesn’t even know how to use a weapon.” Martin devoted himself to artistic work and often gave part of his salary to charity institutions.
At the time of the incident, Donald Trump and his wife Melania were not in Mar-a-Lago; they were in Washington, where they had attended a dinner with state governors the previous night.
The director of the U.S. Secret Service, Sean Curran, traveled to Florida on Sunday to assess the incident and stated that the agency has strengthened operational communication and protocols for responding to critical situations. The FBI is also investigating the case, as the motivations that led Martin to invade the residence remain unknown at this time.
Mar-a-Lago maintains strict security, with an outer perimeter formed by local police and an inner one by the Secret Service. Visitors, cars, and luggage are thoroughly searched, with the assistance of dogs and metal detectors.
