The United States Secret Service fatally shot an armed man after entering Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning. Authorities revealed the identity of the armed man, which they confirmed through his driver's licence, as 21-year-oldAustin Tucker Martinfrom Moore County, North Carolina.

According to reports, the confrontation between Martin and the authorities took place inside Mar-a-Lago complex's north gate as he was carrying a shotgun and a fuel canister. He was shot after allegedly pointing his shotgun at the officers.

In a press conference held by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, US Secret Service Miami field office Special Agent Rafael Barros clarified thatUS President Donald Trumpwas not in Florida at the time of the shooting. He said, 'We want to be clear: the president of the United States was not in the state of Florida.'

President Trump had been at Mar-a-Lago on 16 February for a scheduled interview with The New York Post. On Saturday night, President Trump was at the White House to host state governors.​

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said in a statement that Martin had gone into Mar-a-Lago's inner perimeter, where he was approached by a deputy sheriff and two Secret Service Agents.

Bradshaw said, as Martin was seen 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,' perABC News.

Bradshaw continued, 'At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat. Fortunately, nobody was injured inside because of the quick action that was taken by the deputy and the Secret Service.'

According to a report byThe New York Times, the Secret Service, the sheriff's office and FBI investigators were said to be investigating the incident.

Hours before the fatal shooting of Austin Tucker Martin, his family had reported him missing, as reported by the media. Martin's cousin, Braeden Fields, said Martin was a reserved individual and said his family were 'big Trump supporters.'​

Fields, 19, told Associated Press, 'He's a good kid. I wouldn't believe he would do something like this. It's mind-blowing. He wouldn't even hurt an ant. He doesn't even know how to use a gun.'

Source: International Business Times UK