Man shot dead after allegedly trying to enter Mar-a-Largo.
Man has not yet been named.
Some information in this short YouTube clip
BBC is reporting on it now. I scanned the other News. No one else has it. At the moment.
Trump was not there.
Trump would probably like the whole place burned to the ground so maybe he could get out of the development restrictions.
The thread title is a bit misleading. He was reportedly found inside the north perimeter gate of the property.
Fixed.
Dead man has been identified.
Sheriff Ric L. Bradshaw of Palm Beach County said that the man was Austin Tucker Martin, 21, of Cameron, N.C. He said officials confirmed Mr. Martin’s identity through his driver’s license. Mr. Martin was confronted inside the north gate of the Mar-a-Lago complex and was carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel canister, the Secret Service said in a statement.
According to various news reports I’ve seen/heard on TV, the guy came from a strongly pro-Trump family and was upset about the handling of the Epstein files. I need to go look for a cite. BRB…
Ah, here goes from the Guardian, quoting TMZ:
TMZ reported that Martin had grown increasingly obsessed with Epstein – a former friend of Trump and many other powerful people – after the recent release of files connected to the prosecution of the sex offender and disgraced financier. The website said that it had obtained a text message that he sent to a co-worker earlier in February.
According to TMZ, the text said: “I don’t know if you read up on the Epstein Files, but evil is real and unmistakable … Tell other people about what you hear about the Epstein files and what the government is doing about it. Raise awareness.”
…
Martin’s cousin told the Associated Press that the family was staunchly pro-Trump.
“We are big Trump supporters, all of us,” Braeden Fields said. “Everybody.” He added, though, that Marin tended not to talk about politics.
I haven’t been following this case all that closely, but when they announced his name but didn’t include statements like 'liberal extremist" or “left wing terrorist” I assumed there was going to be Trump/Republican ties.
I’m pretty sure this guy wasn’t serious, nor was he a serious threat. Or else he was just stupid or suicidal. A gas can and a shotgun? He may as well have just worn a sign that said “shoot me”.
That wouldn’t have gotten him shot, though.