Florida/Washington, February 22, 2026: The United States Secret Service said on Sunday that its agents shot and killed an armed man who unlawfully entered the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, the Florida residence of US President Donald Trump.
According to officials, the incident occurred at around 1:30am local time (0630 GMT), while President Trump was in Washington, D.C..
“An armed man was shot and killed by US Secret Service agents after unlawfully entering the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago early this morning,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a post on X.
In a separate statement, the agency said the suspect — a man in his early 20s — was spotted near the north gate of the Mar-a-Lago property carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can. Agents confronted the individual, after which shots were fired. No Secret Service personnel were injured in the incident.
The identity of the suspect has not yet been released, as authorities are working to notify his family.
President Trump has previously been the target of multiple assassination plots and attempts. Earlier this month, Ryan Routh, 59, who had plotted to assassinate Trump at a Florida golf course in September 2024 — two months before the US presidential election — was sentenced to life imprisonment.
That plot followed another assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, where 20-year-old Matthew Crooks opened fire during a campaign rally, grazing Trump’s right ear. One rally attendee was killed in the attack, while Crooks was immediately shot dead by security forces. His motive remains unknown.
The Pennsylvania incident proved to be a pivotal moment in Trump’s political resurgence and return to power.
Sunday’s shooting marks the latest episode of political violence in what officials describe as an increasingly polarised United States.
