Armed man shot, killed after entering Mar-a-Lago secure perimeter, Secret Service says
I’M CALEB CALIFANO, COMING ON AIR WITH BREAKING NEWS. LAW ENFORCEMENT IS GIVING AN UPDATE ON AN OVERNIGHT INCIDENT AT MAR-A-LAGO. LET’S LISTEN IN. ASK FOR A COUPLE QUESTIONS. WE’RE NOT GOING TO TAKE A LOT, BUT I WANT TO WARN YOU RIGHT NOW, MAKE THEM RELEVANT TO EXACTLY WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. RIGHT? NO. WHAT IFS. WHAT ABOUT THIS? DON’T GET OFF BASE, BECAUSE WE’RE NOT GOING TO ANSWER THAT. WE’RE GOING TO GIVE YOU WHAT WE KNOW AND WHAT WE CAN. ALRIGHT, SO KEEP THAT IN MIND. SO YOU’RE GOOD TO GO. ALRIGHT. MY NAME IS RIC BRADSHAW. I’M THE SHERIFF OF PALM BEACH COUNTY. I HAVE WITH ME FROM THE FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, BRETT SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE RAFAEL BERRIOS FROM THE SECRET SERVICE. ALSO, I HAVE RESIDENT AGENT IN CHARGE DAVID CLANCY. AT 130 THIS MORNING, THE SECURITY DETAIL DETECTED THAT A INDIVIDUAL HAD MADE HIS WAY INTO THE INNER PERIMETER OF MAR-A-LAGO. A DEPUTY AND TWO SECRET SERVICE AGENTS ON THE DETAIL WENT TO THAT AREA TO INVESTIGATE. THAT WAS CARRYING A GAS CAN AND A SHOTGUN. 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. AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THE DEPUTY AND THE TWO SECRET SERVICE AGENTS FIRED THEIR WEAPONS AND NEUTRALIZED THE THREAT. HE IS DECEASED AT THE SCENE. I’LL GIVE YOU A PICTURE OF THE SHOTGUN AND THE GAS CAN TO HAVE WITH YOU. SO THAT’S WHAT WE KNOW NOW. INVESTIGATION CONTINUES. THE FBI IS THE LEAD INVESTIGATION AGENCY ON THIS CASE, AND WE WILL BE ASSISTING THEM IN WHATEVER MANNER THEY WOULD LIKE. AND THEY WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR AN APPROPRIATE TIME. THANK YOU. SHERIFF. GOOD MORNING AGAIN. MY NAME IS BRETT SKILES. I’M THE SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE FOR THE FBI’S MIAMI FIELD OFFICE. FIRST OF ALL, I’D LIKE TO THANK THE SECRET SERVICE AND PALM BEACH SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOR THEIR QUICK RESPONSE IN THIS MATTER AND CLOSE COLLABORATION. SINCE THIS AREA OF THE SHOOTING WAS UNDER SECRET SERVICE PROTECTION AT THE TIME, THE FBI IS ASSISTING THE INVESTIGATION. CURRENTLY, OUR EVIDENCE RESPONSE TEAM IS PROCESSING THE SCENE, COLLECTING EVIDENCE, AND WE’LL CONTINUE TO WORK THE SCENE FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES. ONE THING I WOULD ASK THE PUBLIC IS IF YOU LIVE IN THE AREA OF THE SHOOTING, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EXTERIOR CAMERAS FOR LAST NIGHT EARLY THIS MORNING. IF YOU SEE ANYTHING THAT LOOKS SUSPICIOUS OR OUT OF PLACE, PLEASE CONTACT US AT ONE 800, CALL FBI OR CONTACT THE WEST PALM BEACH SHERIFF’S OFFICE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS RAFAEL BARROS. I’M THE SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE OF SECRET SERVICE MIAMI FIELD OFFICE. EARLIER TODAY, TWO SPECIAL AGENTS FROM THE SECRET SERVICE AND A DEPUTY FROM THE PALM BEACH SHERIFF’S OFFICE WERE INVOLVED IN AN OFFICER SHOOTING WHILE RESPONDING TO AN ARMED INDIVIDUAL AT ONE OF THE GATES AT MAR-A-LAGO. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION INDICATES THAT THE INDIVIDUAL WAS ARMED WITH A SHOTGUN IN A AND A POSSESSION OF A GASOLINE CANISTER. AGENTS AND THE DEPUTY DISCHARGED FIREARMS TO STOP THE THREAT. AT THIS TIME, NO LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL WERE INJURED DURING THE INCIDENT. WE WANT TO BE CLEAR. THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WAS NOT IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, AND THIS REMAINS AN ACTIVE INVESTIGATION BY THE FBI. THANK YOU. OKAY, THIS IS THE PICTURE THAT I’M GOING TO GIVE YOU OF THE SHOTGUN AND THE GAS CAN. SO YOU GOT IT WITH US. ALL RIGHT. SO YOU’LL HAVE THAT. LIKE I SAID, THERE’S A LOT MORE INVESTIGATION TO BE DONE. FBI IS THE LEAD AGENCY WILL BE ASSISTING THEM. AND FORTUNATELY, NOBODY WAS IN JEOPARDY INSIDE BECAUSE OF THE QUICK ACTION THAT WAS TAKEN BY THE DEPUTIES AND THE SECRET SERVICE. ALL RIGHT. DO WE HAVE ANY RELATIVE QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. THAT PHOTO AGAIN. YEAH. WE’RE GOING TO GIVE IT TO YOU. ALL RIGHT OKAY. THAT’S IT FOR TODAY. THAT SHOT AND KILLED THE SUSPECT AGENCY. ARE THEY FROM. SAY THAT AGAIN, MA’AM. THERE’S THERE’S TWO AGENCIES INVOLVED. SHERIFF’S OFFICE, SECRET SERVICE OFFICER. THE AGENCY. WELL, THAT’S UNDER INVESTIGATION RIGHT NOW. OKAY. WAS THIS PERSON KNOWN TO LAW ENFORCEMENT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT? NOT RIGHT NOW. CAN YOU CLARIFY WHERE ON THE PERIMETER IT HAPPENED? YOU MENTIONED THE GATE. YEAH, AT THE FRONT GATE OVER THERE? YEP. THERE, THERE. THE NORTH SIDE. NORTH SIDE. RIGHT INSIDE OF THE GATE. HE WAS JUST INSIDE THE INNER PERIMETER. YES. ALL RIGHT. WAS ANYONE INVOLVED WEARING BODY CAMERAS? PARDON ME. WAS ANYONE WEARING BODY CAMERAS? YES, WE ALWAYS DO. OKAY. WERE ANY WORDS EXCHANGED BETWEEN THE OFFICERS AND THE SUSPECT? ONLY WE. WORDS THAT WE SAID TO HIM WAS DROP THE ITEMS. WHICH MEANS THE GAS CAN AND THE SHOTGUN. THE SUSPECT NEVER SPOKE. HE PUT THE GAS. OKAY. YOU WERE JUST LISTENING IN TO A BREAKING NEWS PRESS CONFERENCE OUTSIDE OF MAR-A-LAGO. I WANT TO RECAP WHAT WE ARE HEARING FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT RIGHT NOW. THEY’RE TELLING US AROUND 130 THIS MORNING, A MAN MADE HIS WAY INTO THE INNER PERIMETER OF MAR-A-LAGO, ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE PALM BEACH HOME. THEY’RE TELLING US THE SUSPECT WAS A WHITE MAN CARRYING A GAS CAN AND A SHOTGUN. HE WAS ORDERED TO DROP BOTH OF THEM. ACCORDING TO THE SHERIFF OF PALM BEACH COUNTY. HE DROPPED THE GAS CANISTER, HOWEVER, POINTED THE SHOTGUN AT TWO SECRET SERVICE AGENTS AND ONE DEPUTY WHO SHOT AND KILLED HIM. THEY ARE TELLING US THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS NOT INJURED DURING THIS SHOOTING. THEY ALSO TELL US THAT THE FBI IS THE LEAD AGENCY, AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE THIS. THEY ARE ASKING NEARBY HOMEOWNERS TO CHECK THEIR CAMERAS FOR ANY SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY. AND OF COURSE, THE PRESIDENT WAS NOT HOME AT THE TIME OF THE SHOOTING. OF COURSE, WE’LL KEEP YOU UPDATED WITH THIS. THERE’S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS, BUT STAY WITH WPBF 25 NEWS FOR ANY BREAKING NEWS UPDATES ON THIS STORY ALL DAY LONG. YOU CAN ALWAYS FIND THE LATEST ON WPBF.COM AND
The U.S. Secret Service announced Sunday that an armed man was shot and killed after entering the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida.Although Trump often spends weekends at his resort, he was at the White House during the shooting. First Lady Melania Trump was also with the president.The name of the person who was shot has not been released. According to the Secret Service, 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 incident took place at 1:30 a.m. Sunday.Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw, speaking at a brief press conference, said the man was confronted by two Secret Service agents and a sheriff’s deputy.“He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with them. At which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw said. The two agents and the deputy “fired their weapons to neutralize the threat.”The FBI asked residents who live near Mar-a-Lago to check any security cameras they may have for footage that could help investigators.The suspect, who was in his early 20s and from North Carolina, was reported missing a few days ago by his family. Investigators believe he left North Carolina and headed south, picking up a shotgun along the way, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said, who added that the box for the gun was recovered in his vehicle.Guglielmi said that the man drove through the north gate of Mar-a-Lago as another vehicle was exiting.Investigators are working to compile a psychological profile and a motive is still under investigation. Asked whether the individual was known to law enforcement, Bradshaw said “not right now.”In July 2024, Trump was wounded during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. In September 2024, a man with a rifle who was waiting near Trump’s golf course in Florida was taken into custody. He was sentenced to life in prison.
The U.S. Secret Service announced Sunday that an armed man was shot and killed after entering the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
Although Trump often spends weekends at his resort, he was at the White House during the shooting. First Lady Melania Trump was also with the president.
The name of the person who was shot has not been released. According to the Secret Service, 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 incident took place at 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw, speaking at a brief press conference, said the man was confronted by two Secret Service agents and a sheriff’s deputy.
“He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with them. At which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position,” Bradshaw said. The two agents and the deputy “fired their weapons to neutralize the threat.”
The FBI asked residents who live near Mar-a-Lago to check any security cameras they may have for footage that could help investigators.
The suspect, who was in his early 20s and from North Carolina, was reported missing a few days ago by his family. Investigators believe he left North Carolina and headed south, picking up a shotgun along the way, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said, who added that the box for the gun was recovered in his vehicle.
Guglielmi said that the man drove through the north gate of Mar-a-Lago as another vehicle was exiting.
Investigators are working to compile a psychological profile and a motive is still under investigation. Asked whether the individual was known to law enforcement, Bradshaw said “not right now.”
In July 2024, Trump was wounded during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. In September 2024, a man with a rifle who was waiting near Trump’s golf course in Florida was taken into custody. He was sentenced to life in prison.
