Political violence in the United States gained another chapter in the early hours of this Sunday (22). A gunman was killed by Secret Service agents after trying to break into Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s residence in Palm Beach, Florida.
The incident occurred around 1:30 am, when the suspect, a man in his 20s from North Carolina, took advantage of the opening of the property’s north gate — caused by a vehicle leaving — to try to enter the complex.
He carried a shotgun and a can of fuel. The attacker’s family had reported him missing days before, and preliminary investigations indicate that he acquired the weapon while traveling towards the south of the country.
Confronted by two Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy, the man was ordered to drop the items. He abandoned the gallon, but pointed the gun at the agents — who reacted immediately, preventing the attack.
No police officers or civilians were injured. Trump and first lady Melania were not at Mar-a-Lago at the time of the invasion.
The FBI and Secret Service are now working on a psychological profile of the attacker to determine his motivations, as he was not known to law enforcement authorities until the time of the crime.
Climate of hostility
Donald Trump has already been the target of other assassination attempts — including the attack in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024, and an incident at his golf course in West Palm Beach, in September of the same year.
But the climate of political hostility that has taken hold in the USA goes beyond Trump: the country has also recorded attacks against other public figures, including the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and attacks against parliamentarians and governors.
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