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The U.S. Secret Service said on Sunday its agents shot and killed a man in his 20s after he unlawfully entered a secure perimeter at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla.
The Secret Service said in a statement that at about 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, a man in his early 20s was shot by U.S. Secret Service agents and a deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) after an “unauthorized entry into the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago.”
Although Trump often spends weekends at his resort, he was at the White House at the time of the incident. First lady Melania Trump was with the president on Saturday night.
The identity of the man is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, according to the federal law enforcement agency.
He “was observed by the north gate of the Mar-a-Lago property carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can,” the statement reads.
Secret Service agents and a PBSO deputy reportedly confronted the man and law enforcement fired shots. No Secret Service or PBSO officers were injured, the statement said.
“The incident, including the man’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.”
Trump has faced threats before
Trump has faced threats to his life before. He was wounded during an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., on July 13, 2024.
Then on Sept. 15, 2024, a man with a rifle was captured after waiting near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Fla., while the president played a round. He was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month.
The latest incident comes as the U.S. has been rocked multiple times in recent years by political violence.
Just last year, that included the assassination of the Democratic leader in the Minnesota state House and her husband and the shooting of another lawmaker and his wife; an arson attack at the official residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro; and the assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk,
The incursion on Sunday at Trump’s Florida home is a short distance from his West Palm Beach golf club, where a man tried to assassinate him while he played golf during the 2024 election.
A Secret Service agent spotted that man, Ryan Routh, aiming a rifle through the shrubbery before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire and caused Routh to drop his weapon. Routh was found guilty last year and sentenced this month to life in prison.
That incident came months after Trump survived an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania campaign rally. The gunman had fired eight shots, with one bullet grazing Trump’s ear, before being shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.
The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.