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riversedge

(80,280 posts) Sun Feb 22, 2026, 07:56 PM Yesterday

Mar-A-Lago Armed Gunman Fixated On Epstein Files Week Before Shooting

Source: tmz.com

By TMZ Staff Updated February 22, 2026 3:34 PM PST

................

Austin Tucker Martin sent a text message, obtained by TMZ, to a co-worker on February 15, 2026, that read, "I don't know if you read up on the Epstein Files, but evil is real and unmistakable." He continued, "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."

................. Co-workers tell us he was deeply disturbed by what he believed was a government cover-up and often talked about powerful people "getting away with it."

At the same time, Austin was outspoken about his Christian faith and political views. We're told he regularly expressed support for Trump, telling colleagues as recently as late last year he believed Trump was a strong leader.

..............

Austin also tried to start a union at work to push for higher wages, but no one signed on. Outside of his job, he was a sketch artist attempting to sell drawings of local scenery and people around town.

Read more: https://www.tmz.com/2026/02/22/mar-a-lago-armed-man-shot-dead-texts-show-epstein-files-fixation/

‪shauna‬ ‪@goldengateblond.bsky.social‬
· 2h
quelle surprise www.tmz.com/2026/02/22/m...

quelle surprise www.tmz.com/2026/02/22/m...
— shauna (@goldengateblond.bsky.social) 2026-02-22T22:20:13.796Z

15 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Mar-A-Lago Armed Gunman Fixated On Epstein Files Week Before Shooting (Original Post) riversedge Yesterday OP

I wish he'd done his research on the travel schedule jmbar2 Yesterday #1

Sounds like he was in chaos............... Lovie777 Yesterday #2

yep. another 'all over the map' - 'down the rabbit hole' conspiracy connoisseur stopdiggin Yesterday #4

Well said. hamsterjill Yesterday #5

Very conflicted UpInArms Yesterday #3

Leavitt said that the Secret Service "neutralized a crazy person". mwb970 13 hrs ago #6

Did she mention if he was Antifa sent by Soros? durablend 12 hrs ago #8

Kash was busy at the Olympics so he didn't have time to scratch antifa memes travelingthrulife 11 hrs ago #10

A Trump supporter and a union organizer? Ray Bruns 12 hrs ago #7

Fixated on the Epstein files. Well, who, except the media, is not fixated on travelingthrulife 11 hrs ago #9

Why was he killed? ramapo 11 hrs ago #11

Is was reported that after being told to drop the firearm he pointed at the security agents EX500rider 4 hrs ago #14

Another disappointed MAGA Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin 7 hrs ago #12

_ LudwigPastorius 6 hrs ago #13

This is just the beginning of the pedo panic. Mosby 2 hrs ago #15

jmbar2

(7,862 posts)

1. I wish he'd done his research on the travel schedule

Reply to riversedge (Original post)

Sun Feb 22, 2026, 07:59 PM

Yesterday

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

Lovie777

(22,469 posts)

2. Sounds like he was in chaos...............

Reply to riversedge (Original post)

Sun Feb 22, 2026, 08:06 PM

Yesterday

A Christian, supporter shithole, and was disturbed by the Epstein files.

stopdiggin

(15,271 posts)

4. yep. another 'all over the map' - 'down the rabbit hole' conspiracy connoisseur

Reply to Lovie777 (Reply #2)

Sun Feb 22, 2026, 08:50 PM

Yesterday

If you're looking for a coherent agenda or motivation with these people ...
Good luck with that.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

hamsterjill

(17,288 posts)

5. Well said.

Reply to stopdiggin (Reply #4)

Sun Feb 22, 2026, 09:07 PM

Yesterday

If you try to apply logic to these people, it doesn't work.

I'm wondering if the ones who have the really fervent belief that Trump has been sent by God typically are going to go off the rails when they come to realize that Trump is not who they thought he was. I'm guessing it would be pretty traumatic for someone like that. The person would have to already be a little "off" in some way in order to believe that about Trump. I know a few who do and they are nut cases. The trauma would be realizing that they've been misled.

UpInArms

(54,608 posts)

3. Very conflicted

Reply to riversedge (Original post)

Sun Feb 22, 2026, 08:19 PM

Yesterday

I guess his brain could not deal with the cognitive dissonance

mwb970

(12,118 posts)

6. Leavitt said that the Secret Service "neutralized a crazy person".

Reply to riversedge (Original post)

Mon Feb 23, 2026, 08:00 AM

13 hrs ago

This is an ironic choice of words, given that the perpetrator was trying, rightly or wrongly, to neutralize a crazy person.

durablend

(9,148 posts)

8. Did she mention if he was Antifa sent by Soros?

Reply to mwb970 (Reply #6)

Mon Feb 23, 2026, 08:56 AM

12 hrs ago

travelingthrulife

(4,960 posts)

10. Kash was busy at the Olympics so he didn't have time to scratch antifa memes

Reply to durablend (Reply #8)

Mon Feb 23, 2026, 09:20 AM

11 hrs ago

on the bullet casings.

Ray Bruns

(6,169 posts)

7. A Trump supporter and a union organizer?

Reply to riversedge (Original post)

Mon Feb 23, 2026, 08:21 AM

12 hrs ago

travelingthrulife

(4,960 posts)

9. Fixated on the Epstein files. Well, who, except the media, is not fixated on

Reply to riversedge (Original post)

Mon Feb 23, 2026, 09:19 AM

11 hrs ago

the evidence that will blow the GOP out of the water.

ramapo

(4,776 posts)

11. Why was he killed?

Reply to riversedge (Original post)

Mon Feb 23, 2026, 09:52 AM

11 hrs ago

Trump wasn't there so there was no danger to him. Did he point the rifle at LE? I haven't seen that. Sounds like he was a disturbed , there was a lot of LE, and they just shot him dead. I hope I am missing something.

EX500rider

(12,300 posts)

14. Is was reported that after being told to drop the firearm he pointed at the security agents

Reply to ramapo (Reply #11)

Mon Feb 23, 2026, 05:01 PM

4 hrs ago

Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(134,363 posts)

12. Another disappointed MAGA

Reply to riversedge (Original post)

Mon Feb 23, 2026, 02:11 PM

7 hrs ago

LudwigPastorius

(14,461 posts)

13. _

Reply to riversedge (Original post)

Mon Feb 23, 2026, 02:22 PM

6 hrs ago

Mosby

(19,444 posts)

15. This is just the beginning of the pedo panic.

Reply to riversedge (Original post)

Mon Feb 23, 2026, 06:24 PM

2 hrs ago

People believe there is a global pedo ring, where babies are being raped, killed, eaten, girls are having babies torn out of their wombs and murdered by Israeli doctors, Epstein is now considered the worst sexual predator in American history. Worse than Albert Fish, worse than Dahmer.

Reply to this discussion