Mar-a-Lago Incident Victim Identified as Golf Artist – Details

A terrifying security breach at Mar-a-Lago ended in gunfire, but the most unexpected detail wasn't the weapon. It was who was holding it.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, February 22, 2026, law enforcement shot and killed a 21-year-old man who had allegedly tried to enter President Donald Trump's Florida estate armed with a shotgun and a gas can.

Now, authorities have identified him, and the revelation has left many stunned.

What Happened That Night

Officials say the man drove into the gates of Mar-a-Lago as another vehicle was exiting. He then entered the inner perimeter of the property carrying a shotgun and a gas can.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said during a press conference that the deceased was "ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with them."

"At which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position." That's when officers "neutralized the threat." Two Secret Service agents and one sheriff’s deputy confronted him during the encounter.

The man was identified as Austin Tucker Martin, 21, of Cameron, North Carolina. According to the New York Post, Austin had been reported missing by his family on Saturday, just hours before the dramatic confrontation unfolded.

By Sunday at around 1:30 a.m., he was dead following the tense encounter with Secret Service agents and Palm Beach County deputies.

Investigation and Political Reaction

A box for the shotgun was later discovered inside Austin's vehicle. Investigators are still probing whether he purchased the weapon while traveling to Florida.

Authorities have urged residents in South Florida to check their security cameras for possible footage showing Austin before the shooting. Officials have not confirmed whether he was previously known to law enforcement.

President Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago during the incident. He was in Washington, D.C., hosting the Governors' Dinner at the White House alongside First Lady Melania Trump.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reportedly praised the Secret Service’s response in a post on X. "The United States Secret Service acted quickly and decisively to neutralize a crazy person, armed with a gun and a gas canister, who intruded President Trump's home," she wrote.

She also reportedly criticized Democrats over a partial government shutdown affecting Homeland Security since February 14, 2026, calling their actions "shameful and reckless."

FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly said on X that the bureau would be "dedicating all necessary resources" to the investigation.

The Most Unexpected Detail

But here's where the story takes a turn no one saw coming. Austin wasn't known publicly as a political activist, criminal, or extremist. He was, of all things, a golf course artist. According to the publication's report, his social media reveals a quiet obsession with sketching and painting golf courses in North Carolina's Sandhills region.

The outlet also reported that Austin's Instagram account featured bleak watercolors and stark black-and-white sketches of rolling fairways and pine-lined greens. Many of the works appeared to depict Quail Ridge Golf Course, located roughly 15 to 20 miles north of his Cameron home.

Others seemed inspired by Pinehurst No. 2, one of the region's most iconic courses. The posts were accompanied by sparse electronic music and had almost zero social media interaction. There were no fiery political rants. No obvious warning signs. Just solitary landscapes, drawn with care.

A Family Already Marked by Tragedy

The deeper you look, the more heartbreaking the picture becomes. According to a report from The Pilot, a 21-year-old Cameron woman named Caitlin Renea Martin died following a two-vehicle accident in the Vass area in 2023.

The crash occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m. at the U.S. 1 and Business U.S. 1 intersection. Authorities said a teenager driving a Ford pickup truck southbound without headlights struck the Toyota SUV Caitlin was driving as she attempted to cross the lane.

Her vehicle then hit a guardrail and rolled over it. She later died at the hospital. Witnesses told Highway Patrol officers that the truck's lights were not being used and that it was very dark at the time. No charges were immediately filed because the truck driver was a juvenile.

It remains unclear how the 2023 tragedy may have affected Austin. But the timeline and the shared last name have drawn quiet attention.

A Pattern of Security Scares

The Mar-a-Lago incident comes amid heightened security concerns. Just five days earlier, a Georgia man armed with a shotgun was arrested outside the U.S. Capitol as he sprinted toward the building’s west side.

And the Florida property itself has been the site of previous threats. During the 2024 election, Ryan Routh attempted to assassinate President Trump while he was golfing at his West Palm Beach club. Ryan was spotted aiming a rifle through shrubbery before Trump came into view and was later sentenced to life in prison.

That same year, Thomas Crooks fired eight shots during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing the president’s ear and killing an attendee before being taken out by a Secret Service counter-sniper.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent weighed in on the latest Mar-a-Lago scare during an appearance on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" show. "This venom coming from the other side," he said. "We don't know whether this person was a mastermind, unhinged, or what, but they are normalizing this violence. It's got to stop."

The Lingering Questions

Investigators have not publicly confirmed Austin’s motive. Why would a young artist known for sketching tranquil fairways allegedly drive into one of the most heavily guarded properties in America with a shotgun and a gas can?

Did he intend harm, or was something else unfolding beneath the surface? For now, authorities continue to piece together the hours between when his family reported him missing Saturday and when gunfire shattered the quiet at 1:30 a.m. Sunday.

And in a case filled with politics, security concerns, and sharp rhetoric, the most haunting image may not be the flashing lights outside Mar-a-Lago, but the lonely golf-course sketches left behind online. A life once focused on drawing serene greens ended in chaos.