A 21-year-old man who was shot and killed by Secret Service agents after breaching the secure perimeter at Mar-a-Lago was reportedly “fixated” on the files related to Jeffrey Epstein and believed there was a “government cover-up” protecting his accomplices, according to a report from TMZ on Sunday.
The man, identified as Austin Tucker Martin, allegedly expressed his views in text messages from February 15. Sources who had worked with Martin at a North Carolina golf course shared details about his beliefs, which seemed to include regular support for President Donald Trump, though his stance appeared to have shifted significantly.
“I don’t know if you read up on the Epstein Files, but evil is real and unmistakable,” Martin reportedly said in one of the messages. “The best people like you and I can do is use what little influence we have. Tell other people about what you hear about the Epstein files and what the government is doing about it. Raise awareness.”
The report continued:
Sources who worked with Austin at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in North Carolina tell TMZ … he became fixated on Epstein following the latest release of information tied to the files. Co-workers tell us he was deeply disturbed by what he believed was a government cover-up and often talked about powerful people “getting away with it.”
The attack occurred on Sunday when Martin attempted to break into Mar-a-Lago, carrying a shotgun and a gas canister. According to Palm Beach County Sheriff’s officials, Martin aimed his weapon at officers before being shot and killed by Secret Service agents.
This incident follows closely on the heels of the latest release of Epstein-related files by the Justice Department. Attorney General Pam Bondi later confirmed that the DOJ had complied with federal law, releasing all available documents, including a batch of 3.5 million pages published at the end of January.
President Trump has claimed the released files “absolve” him of any wrongdoing. Some of the documents included an FBI report showing that Trump had thanked Florida police officers in 2006 for their investigation into Epstein and urged them to focus on Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s close associate.
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