TRUE CRIME NEWSMar-a-Lago Gunman Was Fixated on Epstein Files: Report
Austin Tucker Martin was a Trump supporter fixated on the Epstein files.
Feb. 23 2026, Published 3:01 p.m. ET
The gunman who attempted to breach Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, February 22, was identified by authorities as Austin Tucker Martin, a 21-year-old from North Carolina, whose motives revealed a deep fixation on the recently released files related to late child predator Jeffrey Epstein.
Martin was shot and killed by Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy around 1:30 a.m. after he entered the secure perimeter of the president’s Palm Beach country club.
Armed with a shotgun and a gas canister, authorities say Martin ignored orders to drop the items and instead raised the shotgun into a "shooting position" before being shot and killed.
Neither Donald Nor Melania Trump Were at Mar-a-Lago During the Incident
Mar-A-Lago was investigated after incident.
President Donald Trump was in Washington, D.C., at the time of the incident and was not at the resort.
According to co-workers and text messages obtained by TMZ, Martin had become increasingly obsessed with the Department of Justice's release of approximately 3.5 million documents related to Epstein in late January.
Martin was said to be reportedly "deeply disturbed" by what he believed was a government cover-up. He frequently spoke about powerful elites "getting away with it.”
'Evil is Real and Unmistakable'
Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein were once friends.
In a text sent on February 15, Martin wrote: "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... Raise awareness.”
Despite his actions at Mar-a-Lago, Martin is said to come from a family of avid Trump supporters and had previously expressed that he believed Trump was a "strong leader.”
- Donald Trump's Assassination Attempt Suspect Ryan Routh Found Guilty on All Charges, Allegedly Tried to Stab Himself in the Neck With a Pen After Hearing Verdict
- Nancy Guthrie's Alleged Kidnapper May Have Simply 'Knocked' on Her Front Door, Claims Former FBI Agent
- C-SPAN Sets the Record Straight After Caller Sounds Eerily Like Donald Trump
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Investigators Are Puzzled Because the Shooter Was a Big Trump Supporter
Investigators learned the shooter was disillusioned with Donald Trump's handling of the Epstein files.
Investigators are currently exploring whether his actions were an impulsive escalation tied to online radicalization.
Martin’s family in Moore County, N.C., had reported him missing just hours before the shooting.
Shooter Had No Previous Criminal Record But Was Fixated on the Epstein Scandal
The shooter became fixated on the Epstein scandal.
Relatives described him as a "good kid" who was "real quiet" and uncomfortable around guns, expressing shock at his involvement in the incident.
Authorities confirmed that Martin had no prior criminal record before the incident as the FBI is currently leading the investigation into the motive behind the breach.
