Fact Check: Is Mar-a-lago shooter Austin Tucker a transgender person?

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: After an armed man was shot and killed by a Secret Service agent outside President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property, a claim has been circulating on social media platforms, claiming that the deceased, Austin Tucker Martin, was a transgender person. The claim has been shared as a broader attack against the trans community. Let’s fact-check it.

Claim: Mar-a-Lago shooter was transgender

The claim surfaced as a post on X, which came with a photo of a man, accompanied by a caption saying, “Austin Tucker, who was shot and killed trying to breach Mar-a-Lago with a gun this morning, has been discovered to be trans after uncovering his social media accounts, which have since been deleted.”

The post that has garnered more than a million views has been shared as a wider attack against the LGBTQ community, especially since the recent shooting in Rhode Island, in which the attacker was identified as transgender, prompting a wave of online transphobia.

Fact Check: False, the viral image does not show Austin Tucker Martin

The claim is incorrect, as the person in the viral photo has long black hair, which is different from the original photo of the suspect, who had blond hair. 

There is also no evidence that Martin was transgender, as no credible media reports have mentioned the shooter’s sexuality or identity. 

A fact check by Grok on the post stated that, “Based on reports from AP, Fox News, LA Times, and other sources as of Feb 22, 2026, Austin Tucker Martin was a 21-year-old man from North Carolina shot and killed after breaching Mar-a-Lago's perimeter with a shotgun."

"No reliable information confirms he identified as transgender. The incident is under FBI investigation.”

Armed man shot dead after breaching Mar-a-Lago security perimeter

In the early hours of Sunday, February 22, Austin Tucker Martin, who was reported missing by his family, carried a weapon and was fatally shot after breaching the secured perimeter of the Mar-a-Lago property. 

The Secret Service stated that agents spotted the suspect around 1:30 am near the estate’s north gate. He was described as being in his early 20s.

Officials said the man was carrying a shotgun and also had a fuel can with him. When he entered the restricted area, officers opened fire. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting with the investigation alongside the Secret Service and the sheriff’s office, examining the suspect’s background, actions, possible motive, and the use of force.