Mar-a-Lago Shooting: Gunman Linked to Epstein Conspiracy Claims

The individual who breached Mar-a-Lago with a shotgun and a gas canister hailed from a family of ardent Trump supporters and had developed an intense fixation on the administration’s management of the Epstein documents.

Identified as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin, he was fatally shot on Sunday morning after making his way into former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

Martin’s cousin, Braeden Fields, expressed shock at the incident, describing Martin as a reserved individual while noting that their family largely supported Trump.

“We’re strong Trump advocates, all of us,” Fields commented, adding that his cousin was “very quiet, seldom discussing anything.”

Though Martin reportedly supported Trump, anonymous colleagues revealed to TMZ that he still expressed his backing for Trump as recently as late last year.

However, a text message uncovered by the outlet shows that Martin may have been influenced by the Department of Justice’s release of the files related to dead pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

On February 15, just a week before he was killed by law enforcement, he texted a co-worker at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in North Carolina about the files.

‘I don’t know if you read up on the Epstein Files, but evil is real and unmistakable,’ Martin said. 

Gunman Austin Tucker Martin comes from a family of Trump supporters but may have been radicalized by the administration’s handling of the Epstein files

Braeden Fields, Martin’s cousin, reacted with disbelief, calling Martin (pictured far right) ‘quiet’ and saying his family was almost entirely in favor of Trump 

‘The best people like you and I can do is use what little influence we have. Tell other people about what you hear about the Epstein files and what the government is doing about it. Raise awareness.’ 

President Trump has never been charged with any involvement in any wrongdoing involving Epstein and has long said he cut ties with the financier over 20 years ago. 

Co-workers said that Martin – who was open about his Christian faith – was fixated on the Epstein saga and said he would talk about the elites ‘getting away with it.’ 

They also described him as becoming increasingly frustrated by the state of the US economy and having fruitlessly tried to start a union at his place of work.   

However, Fields described Martin as quiet, afraid of guns and from a family of avid Trump supporters.

‘He’s a good kid,’ Fields, 19, said. He said they grew up together. ‘I wouldn’t believe he would do something like this. It’s mind-blowing,’ Fields said.

Fields said Martin worked at a local golf course and would send money from each paycheck to charity.

‘He wouldn’t even hurt an ant. He doesn’t even know how to use a gun,’ Fields said.

Fields said his cousin didn’t discuss politics.

A text message shows that Martin may have been influenced by the Department of Justice’s release of the files related to dead pedophile Jeffrey Epstein

Fields described Martin as quiet, afraid of guns and from a family of avid Trump supporters

His family said on Facebook that Martin was last heard from on Saturday just before 8pm after he left his $1.1million home in Cameron, North Carolina, at around 1pm.

‘This is not like him at all,’ his devastated aunt wrote. 

Martin lived with his parents at the secluded, countryside home – and the young man had a fascination with drawing golf courses in his spare time, an Instagram account linked to him showed. 

‘I specialize in pen illustrations centered around landscapes, architecture, and scenery,’ he wrote in a brief description.

He posted dozens of photos of scenes from golf courses, buildings, and countryside shots in both black and white and color. 

Martin was also seemingly religious – captioning one of his drawings of an ornate garden with: ‘Thank you for this gift, Dear Lord,’ alongside a Christian emoji. 

Photos of Martin, posted by his family online, showed him smiling with his siblings and parents.  

Martin, the 21-year-old North Carolina native, was killed at around 1.30am on Sunday at Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida, after entering with a gas can and a shotgun, according to Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the US Secret Service. 

Martin, the 21-year-old North Carolina native, was killed at around 1.30am on Sunday at Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida , after entering with a gas can and a shotgun, according to Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the US Secret Service

Martin lived with his parents at the secluded home – and he had an obsession with drawing golf courses in his spare time, an Instagram account linked to him showed (pictured) 

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said that, after entering near the north gate of the resort, Martin was confronted by two Secret Service agents and a deputy with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Department. 

He pointed the shotgun at them, and was quickly neutralized by the officers.  

Martin was reported missing by his family and was believed to have picked up the shotgun on his way down south. Guglielmi said that a box for the weapon was found inside Martin’s car, which his family identified as a 2013 silver Volkswagen Tiguan. 

On Sunday afternoon, vehicles blocked the entrance to a property listed in public records as an address for Martin at the end of a private road in Cameron, North Carolina.

Martin was identified by a person familiar with the matter, who chose to remain anonymous as they were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation.

Guglielmi said: ‘On February 22, around 1.30am, a male in his early 20s was shot by US Secret Service agents and deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) following an unauthorized entry in the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago. 

‘The individual, whose identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, was pronounced deceased. He was observed by the north gate of the Mar-a-Lago property carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can.’

According to Guglielmi, no Secret Service or deputies with the sheriff’s officer were injured. 

 Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the US Secret Service, said that a box for the weapon was found inside Martin’s car, which his family identified as a 2013 silver Volkswagen Tiguan

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said that, after entering near the north gate of the resort, Martin was confronted by two Secret Service agents and a deputy with the sheriff’s department

‘There were no Secret Service protectees at the location at the time of the incident,’ he added. 

US Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X: ‘In the middle of the night while most Americans were asleep, the United States Secret Service acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person, armed with a gun and a gas canister, who intruded on the President Trump’s home.

‘Federal law enforcement are working 24/7 to keep our country safe and protect all Americans. It’s shameful and reckless that Democrats have chosen to shut down their department.’

The president and First Lady Melania Trump were not at the Mar-a-Lago estate over the weekend. Instead, they were both at The White House at the time of the incident.

The FBI asked residents to review home security footage for any content that may help investigators. 

A motive for the breach remains unclear as law enforcement continues to investigate. Bradshaw, when asked if Martin was known by police, said ‘not right now’.

The incident occurred just miles from Trump’s West Palm Beach club where a man tried to assassinate him while he played golf during his 2024 campaign. 

Ryan Routh was spotted hiding in the shrubbery with a rifle by a Secret Service agent. 

The gunman was found guilty last year and sentenced this month to life in prison. 

Trump also survived an assassination attempt at a Butler, Pennsylvania campaign rally. That gunman fired eight shots before being killed by a Secret Service counter sniper.

Five days ago, a Georgia man armed with a shotgun was arrested as he sprinted towards the west side of the US Capitol.