Epstein files writings found in car of man shot, killed at Mar-a-Lago entrance, investigators say

Sheriff Ric Bradshaw says a 21-year-old North Carolina man slipped in through a gate around 1:30 a.m. Sunday and raised a shotgun toward deputies and Secret Service agents, prompting gunfire. Detectives say writings referencing the Epstein files were found in his car.

Sheriff Ric Bradshaw says a 21-year-old North Carolina man slipped in through a gate around 1:30 a.m. Sunday and raised a shotgun toward deputies and Secret Service agents, prompting gunfire. Detectives say writings referencing the Epstein files were found in his car.

Sheriff Ric Bradshaw says a 21-year-old North Carolina man slipped in through a gate around 1:30 a.m. Sunday and raised a shotgun toward deputies and Secret Service agents, prompting gunfire. Detectives say writings referencing the Epstein files were found in his car.

PALM BEACH, Fla. —

Investigators are trying to determine whether references to the Jeffrey Epstein files played a role in a deadly confrontation just inside the main entrance of Mar-a-Lago early Sunday.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the incident happened around 1:30 a.m., when officials say 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin slipped through the north gate as it opened to let employees out.

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“A deputy and two Secret Service agents on the detail went to that area to investigate,” Bradshaw said during a Sunday briefing.

Bradshaw said Martin was ordered to drop what he was holding. The sheriff said Martin let go of a gas canister, but then raised the shotgun into a firing position.

“At that point in time, the deputy and the two Secret Service agents fired their weapons and neutralized the threat,” Bradshaw said.

[related id='17610706-790d-4c24-af54-a0b57ae423cc' align='center' source=''][/related]Bradshaw said Martin’s car was left down the street, possibly near Midtown Beach. Inside, investigators found the box for the shotgun and writings that had something to do with the Epstein files.

Sources told ABC News those writings appeared to indicate anger over the Epstein files, though investigators have not publicly detailed the contents. Detectives are now working to determine whether the documents offer insight into a motive.

Authorities said Martin lived with his parents in North Carolina. He worked as a golf course groundskeeper and drew and sold sketches of golf courses.

A cousin said Martin rarely, if ever, talked about politics, seemed afraid of guns, and came from a family of President Donald Trump supporters.

[related id='f0f610c7-3498-4ae7-8b2b-7c8d78a086de' align='center' source=''][/related]A Secret Service spokesperson said investigators believe Martin purchased the shotgun while driving to Florida. Authorities also said his family had recently reported him missing.

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Asked Sunday by Investigative Reporter Terri Parker whether security at Mar-a-Lago would be upgraded, Bradshaw said it functioned as intended.

“It worked like it was supposed to work,” he said, adding that the combined presence of deputies and Secret Service agents allows them to quickly detect and stop anyone who breaches the perimeter.

[related id='102bad05-5d2e-41fa-8312-012b2d75453c' align='center' source=''][/related]It remains unclear whether Martin knew Trump was in Washington, D.C., and not at Mar-a-Lago, when he entered the property.

Investigators are now reviewing surveillance video and digging deeper into Martin’s background to determine why he showed up at the resort armed with a shotgun — and whether the Epstein files were at the center of it.