Update – 10:40 AM Eastern:
Law enforcement has released a photo of the shotgun the individual was carrying at the time of the incident.
Update – 9:40 AM Eastern:
Law enforcement authorities held a brief press conference on the matter shortly before 9:30 AM Eastern. The officials who spoke were Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, FBI Special Agent in Charge (SAC) for the Miami Field Office Brett Skiles, and U.S. Secret Service Miami Field Office SAC Rafael Barros.
Below is a summary of what they shared:
Bradshaw
- At 1:30 AM, a security detail detected that an individual had made his way into the perimeter.
- Agents on the detail confronted a white male carrying a gas can and a shotgun.
- The agents ordered the man to drop the items — he put down the gas can and raised the shotgun to a shooting position.
- The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy and two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat — the individual was deceased at the scene.
- The Sheriff shared a picture of the shotgun and gas can.
- The FBI is the lead investigation agency.
Skiles
- Since the area was under Secret Service protection, the FBI is assisting with the investigation — they are processing the scene and collecting evidence.
- They are asking the public/residents in the area to check their exterior cameras.
Barros
- Barros reiterated the information regarding the incident shared by Bradshaw.
- The agents and deputy discharged their firearms to stop the threat.
- No law enforcement officers were injured.
- The president was not in the state of Florida at the time.
Bradshaw briefly fielded questions from the media:
- The individual was not known to law enforcement prior (as of right now).
- The incident happened near the north side of the property — just inside the inner perimeter.
- He confirmed they were wearing body cameras, but it was unclear if that includes the Secret Service agents or just the deputy.
- The only words said to the individual were to drop the items.
- The number of shots fired and whether or not the shotgun was loaded are under investigation.
The press conference may be viewed here:
Original story:
Breaking news out of Palm Beach County, Florida: Per the U.S. Secret Service, an armed man has been shot and killed by USSS agents as he attempted to enter the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago early Sunday morning.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi shared a statement regarding the encounter on X:
The statement reads:
On February 22, around 1:30 a.m., a male in his early 20s was shot by U.S. Secret Service agents and a deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) following an unauthorized entry into the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago.
The individual, whose identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, was pronounced deceased. The individual was observed by the north gate of the Mar-a-Lago property carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can.
U.S. Secret Service agents and a PBSO deputy confronted the individual and shots were fired by law enforcement during the encounter. No U.S. Secret Service or PBSO personnel were injured. There were no Secret Service protectees present at the location at the time of the incident.
The incident, including the individual’s background, actions, potential motive, and the use of force, is under investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. In accordance with agency policy, the involved Secret Service agents will be placed on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
As indicated in the statement, President Trump was not present on site at the time of the incident — in fact, no Secret Service protectees were.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office has announced that a press conference will be held at 9:30 AM Eastern.
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