Law enforcement kills armed man seeking to enter Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, officials say

United States Secret Service and local police shot and killed a man armed with a shotgun early on Sunday after he breached a secure perimeter at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Florida, law enforcement officials said.

Trump, who is currently in Washington, was not at the resort at the time.

The man, who appeared to be in his early 20s, was carrying a shotgun and a fuel can, the US Secret Service said, adding that he was observed at the resort’s north gate around 1.30am EST (8.30am Cyprus time).

Two US Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy confronted the man and ordered him to drop the two items, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a press conference on Sunday morning.

The man put down the gas canister and raised the shotgun “to a shooting position,” prompting law enforcement to open fire, Bradshaw said.

The man was declared dead at the scene. No law enforcement officers were injured.

Law enforcement officials did not reveal any information about the motive for the incident. The FBI has taken over the investigation and is collecting evidence from the scene, officials said.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The United States is facing a spike in political violence. In 2024, Trump faced two assassination attempts, including one at his golf course in West Palm Beach . Melissa Hortman, a Democratic state lawmaker in Minnesota, was shot and killed in June 2025 along with her husband. Months later, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was also assassinated.