The man, in his twenties, was armed with a rifle and a can of gasoline, according to the Secret Service, which added that the US president was not present at the time of the incident.

An armed man who illegally entered the grounds of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida was shot dead by law enforcement, a Secret Service official, responsible for protecting high-ranking American political figures, announced on Sunday.

"An armed man was shot dead […] after illegally entering the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago early this morning," Anthony Guglielmi told X. The US president was not present at the time of the incident.

Armed with a rifle and a can of gasoline

“Around 1:30 a.m.” this Sunday, “a man in his twenties […] was seen near the north entrance of the Mar-a-Lago property, with what appeared to be a rifle and a can of gasoline,” he stated. Law enforcement officers then confronted the man and fired several shots. No officers were injured.

During a brief press conference, law enforcement officials recounted the confrontation: "The only words we said to him were 'drop what you're carrying,'" said Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of Palm Beach County. "At that point, he put down the gas can and raised the rifle into a firing position," and it was "at that point" that a Palm Beach County sheriff and Secret Service agents "opened fire and neutralized the threat."

Trump has already been the victim of two assassination attempts

The suspect "died at the scene," he said. Law enforcement did not provide further details about the suspect's identity but showed an image of the seized rifle at the press conference. The FBI asked residents in the area to check their outdoor security cameras.

Donald Trump survived two assassination attempts during the 2024 presidential campaign. In July 2024, he was shot in the ear at a rally in Pennsylvania, during which a spectator was killed. Two months later, he survived another assassination attempt on a golf course in Florida. The Secret Service faced significant criticism in both incidents.