Federal Bureau Of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel celebrated with the American men’s hockey team in the locker room on Sunday after their gold medal victory at the Winter Olympics.
Videos circulating on social media showed a jubilant Patel drinking beer straight from the bottle and splashing the remainder around the locker room. After a player placed his gold medal around Patel’s neck, he joined alongside the team, jumping up and down with them.
Xochitl Hinojosa, the spokeswoman for former Attorney General Merrick Garland mentioned on
Patel addressed the criticism by sharing that he felt “extremely humbled when my friends, the newly minted Gold Medal winners on Team USA, invited me into the locker room to celebrate this historic moment with the boys”.
The FBI director justified his official trip to Italy, stating that he had met with Italian law enforcement officials and Americans involved in Olympic security. This week, he shared photos from his visit to the Milan Joint Operations Center, which he said was responsible for safeguarding American athletes and all visitors attending the Winter Games. He also posted an image of his meeting with the US ambassador to Italy.
Meanwhile, while Patel was in Milan, the US Secret Service fatally shot an armed individual who had driven onto Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s Florida resort. As the game against Canada approached overtime hours later, Patel took to X and said the FBI was “dedicating all necessary resources in the investigation.”
Mar-a-Lago shooting
Early Sunday, an armed individual entered the secure grounds of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida, resort, and was fatally shot, a US Secret Service spokesperson confirmed.
Trump, who frequently spends weekends at Mar-a-Lago, was at the White House at the time of the incident, which took place around 1:30 am.
Officials said that the man was armed with a shotgun and carrying a gas can. The FBI identified him as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin from North Carolina, and authorities said his family had recently filed a missing person report, according to AP.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the man is presumed to have bought his shotgun while traveling south, and a box for the firearm was later found in his vehicle.
Authorities have not determined a reason for the incident. However, Trump has previously faced threats, including two assassination attempts during his 2024 campaign.
The investigation remains ongoing. According to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, the man entered the property through the north gate as another vehicle was leaving and was confronted by two Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy.
During a press conference, Bradshaw said, “He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with him. At which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position.” The two agents and the deputy “fired their weapons to neutralize the threat”.
The Moore County Sheriff’s Department in North Carolina reported that a family member had filed a missing person report for Martin early Sunday morning.
Authorities are attempting to create a psychological profile of the individual. When asked if he had any prior interactions with law enforcement, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw replied, “not right now.” The FBI urged residents in the Mar-a-Lago area to review any security camera footage they may have that could assist with the investigation.
