The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. local time at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. Officials confirmed that Trump was in Washington at the time and was not present at the property.

Armed Suspect Confronted

According to the United States Secret Service, the suspect — a man in his early 20s — was spotted near the north gate carrying a shotgun and a fuel can.

Officers confronted him and ordered him to drop the items. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters that the suspect put down the fuel can but raised the shotgun into a firing position.

At that point, a deputy and two Secret Service agents opened fire. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were injured, and the Secret Service stated that no one under its protection was at the estate at the time.

Authorities have not released the suspect’s name as they work to notify his family.

Pattern of Security Threats

The shooting comes amid a series of assassination plots and violent incidents targeting Trump in recent years.

Earlier this month, Ryan Routh was sentenced to life in prison for plotting to assassinate Trump at a Florida golf course in September 2024. That plot followed an earlier attempt in Pennsylvania, where a gunman fired shots during a campaign rally, grazing Trump’s right ear. The attacker was killed at the scene.

Political violence has intensified in the United States in recent years, reflecting growing polarization and increasingly heated political rhetoric.

The Secret Service, tasked with protecting the president, vice president, former presidents and major election candidates, has faced mounting pressure to strengthen security protocols in light of repeated threats.

There was no immediate response from the White House regarding Sunday’s incident.