Gunman Killed At Mar-a-Lago Came From Family Of Trump Supporters, Was ‘Obsessed’ With Epstein Files

Last Updated:February 23, 2026, 09:00 IST

Martin, 21, from North Carolina, was shot and killed around 1:30 a.m. Sunday at Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida, after entering the property with a gas can and a shotgun.

The gunman who was shot dead by security personnel near President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate comes from a family of Trump supporters and became ‘obsessed’ by the administration’s handling of the Epstein files.

Austin Tucker Martin, 21, was shot dead on Sunday morning after he entered Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

Martin’s cousin, Braeden Fields, reacted with disbelief, calling Martin ‘quiet’ and saying his family was almost entirely in favor of Trump.

‘We are big Trump supporters, all of us. Everybody,’ Fields said, but his cousin was ‘real quiet, never really talked about anything.’

Martin was reportedly a Trump supporter himself, having voiced support for the former president as recently as late last year, anonymous co-workers told TMZ.

However, a text message obtained by the outlet suggests he may have been influenced by the Department of Justice’s release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

On February 15, he texted a co-worker at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in North Carolina about the files. “I don’t know if you read up on the Epstein Files, but evil is real and unmistakable," Martin said.

“The best people like you and I can do is use what little influence we have. Tell other people about what you hear about the Epstein files and what the government is doing about it. Raise awareness."

Co-workers said Martin, who was open about his Christian faith, had become increasingly focused on the Epstein saga and often spoke about powerful elites “getting away with it."

According to them, Martin had grown increasingly frustrated with the state of the U.S. economy and had unsuccessfully tried to organize a union at his workplace.

But Fields painted a very different picture. He described Martin as quiet, uncomfortable around guns, and raised in a family of avid Trump supporters. “He’s a good kid," said Fields, 19, who added that they grew up together.

“I wouldn’t believe he would do something like this. It’s mind-blowing," Fields said.

According to Fields, Martin worked at a local golf course and regularly donated part of his paycheck to charity. “He wouldn’t even hurt an ant. He doesn’t even know how to use a gun," Fields said. He also said his cousin rarely talked about politics.

Martin, a 21-year-old from North Carolina, was shot and killed around 1:30 a.m. Sunday at Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida, after entering the property with a gas can and a shotgun, according to Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the U.S. Secret Service.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said Martin entered the resort grounds near the north gate, where he was confronted by two Secret Service agents and a deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said he raised the shotgun toward them and was quickly neutralized by the officers.

Martin had previously been reported missing by his family and is believed to have obtained the shotgun while traveling south. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said a box for the weapon was later found inside Martin’s car — a 2013 silver Volkswagen Tiguan that his family confirmed belonged to him.

News world Gunman Killed At Mar-a-Lago Came From Family Of Trump Supporters, Was ‘Obsessed’ With Epstein Files

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