The 21-year-old man shot and killed after breaching the perimeter of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate was reportedly consumed by the Jeffrey Epstein files in the days leading up to the deadly encounter.
Austin Tucker Martin was gunned down Sunday by local Florida police and Secret Service agents after authorities say he raised a shotgun into a “shooting position” on the property. Officials have not identified a formal motive, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Martin had been reported missing by his family just a day earlier. His mother circulated a missing person poster describing the silver Volkswagen she believed he was driving after he disappeared on Saturday.
Now, newly obtained text messages are shedding light on his state of mind.
According to messages reviewed by TMZ, Martin sent a series of unprompted texts to a co-worker on Feb. 15 — one week before he traveled to Florida. In the messages, he expressed alarm over what he described as the government’s handling of the Epstein files.
“I don’t know if you read up on the Epstein Files, but evil is real and unmistakable,” Martin wrote.
“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 co-worker did not respond. On Sunday morning, before news of Martin’s death broke, the co-worker reportedly sent a follow-up message asking, “Hey! Where are you?”
NEW: The armed man shot and killed by Secret Service agents outside Mar-a-Lago had reportedly become increasingly obsessed with the Epstein files and was also a vocal Trump supporter.
Austin Tucker Martin sent a text to a co-worker on February 15, 2026, obtained by TMZ, that… pic.twitter.com/POPQXugsnA
Should there be more regulations on access to sensitive documents like the Epstein files?— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) February 22, 2026
The texts were sent via an encrypted RCS chat. Sources told TMZ that Martin worked at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in North Carolina, roughly 15 miles from his hometown of Cameron, where he lived with his parents.
Colleagues described him as deeply troubled by what he believed was a coordinated government effort to conceal information connected to Epstein. According to the report, Martin also expressed frustration about the economy and the financial challenges facing young adults. He had reportedly attempted to organize a union at the country club in pursuit of higher wages, but the effort failed to gain support.
Sources further indicated that Martin was a vocal supporter of Trump. His cousin, Braeden Fields, told the Associated Press that most of their family backed the former president and described Martin as quiet and nonviolent.
“He wouldn’t even hurt an ant. He doesn’t even know how to use a gun,” Fields said.
Authorities released an image of the shotgun Martin allegedly carried onto the property. Officials confirmed that Trump and first lady Melania Trump were in Washington, D.C., at the time of the incident.
Law enforcement has urged residents in the surrounding South Florida area to review security camera footage for any additional evidence tied to Martin’s movements before the confrontation.
As investigators work to determine what drove the 21-year-old to approach one of the most heavily guarded private properties in America armed with a shotgun and a gas can, questions are mounting about how online narratives, political frustration, and conspiracy-fueled anger may have converged in a deadly flashpoint.
