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The cousin of an armed man shot and killed after driving into the secure perimeter of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate described him as a “good kid” who never talked politics, saying the incident was “mind-blowing.”
Braeden Fields, a cousin of the man authorities identified as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin of North Carolina, described Martin as quiet, afraid of guns and from a family of avid Trump supporters.
“He’s a good kid,” Fields, 19, told The Associated Press, adding that the two grew up together. “I wouldn’t believe he would do something like this. It’s mind-blowing.”
Fields described Martin as generous, saying he would regularly donate money he earned from work at a local golf course to charity.
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This is an aerial view of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Aug. 10, 2022, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
“He wouldn’t even hurt an ant. He doesn’t even know how to use a gun,” Fields said.
He said his cousin didn’t discuss politics.
“We are big Trump supporters, all of us. Everybody,” Fields said, but his cousin was “real quiet, never really talked about anything.”
Martin allegedly made an “unauthorized entry” through the north gate of the resort in Palm Beach, Florida, as another vehicle was exiting around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.
An aerial view shows the Mar-a-Lago estate and the north gate in Palm Beach, Florida, following reports of a shooting incident, February 22, 2026. (Fox News)
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Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters at a press conference that the suspect was seen carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can. He said Secret Service agents and a sheriff’s deputy then confronted the suspect.
The man who was shot and killed after allegedly breaching the secure perimeter at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, was observed carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can. (@PBCountySheriff via X)
“He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him – at which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw told reporters. “At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat.”
The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. Trump, who often spends weekends at Mar-a-Lago, was at the White House at the time of the breach.
A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s vehicle blocks traffic near Mar-a-Lago, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Martin’s family had reported him missing around 1:38 a.m. Sunday, the Moore County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
A neighbor of the Martin family described seeing the 21-year-old’s mother go to a gas station to report him missing.
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“She had no idea where he was,” Cindy Carlyle told WRAL News. “She was very upset, and she just made the comment that she had gotten a text from him, you know, saying that, ‘I’m okay, I love you.'”
Cindy’s husband, Danny Carlyle, told the outlet that the situation was tragic and was likely something that could have been avoided.
“It’s just like a nightmare … things like this don’t happen close to home,” he said.
A tent is set up on the grounds of the Mar-a-Lago Club on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
The sheriff’s office said it had no prior history with the 21-year-old and has since turned over the missing person case information to federal authorities.
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Investigators are working to compile a psychological profile on Martin.
Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan, Sophia Compton and Greg Wehner, along with The Associated Press contributed to this report.
