Epstein Forums

On Saturday afternoon, Austin Tucker Martin, a 21-year-old golf course groundskeeper and illustrator, left his home in North Carolina and began a 10-hour drive south to president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. Early Sunday morning, Martin reportedly walked into Mar-a-Lago with a shotgun and a can of fuel; he was then shot and killed by Secret Service agents and officers from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office.

Martin was, according to friends, a vocal Trump supporter. His cousin told the Associated Press, “We are big Trump supporters, all of us”—though they added that Martin rarely discussed politics.

Law enforcement have not speculated on Martin’s motive, but a few days before the incident, Martin reportedly texted a coworker: “I don't know if you read up on the Epstein Files, but evil is real and unmistakable,” according to texts obtained by TMZ. “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.”

His former coworkers told TMZ that Martin had become fixated on the Epstein case after the Department of Justice released more than 3 million documents and photos related to Jeffrey Epstein last month. They said Martin believed there was a cover-up taking place and that powerful people were “getting away with it.”