Mar-a-Lago shooting: Shots fired after police chase near Trump's resort, reports say

After police fire, two individuals taken into custody

A car chase has ended in shots being fired near Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, after a black SUV attempted to breach two security checkpoints heading to the estate's main entrance, according to police.

The Florida Highway Patrol had pursued a black SUV as it headed towards the two checkpoints, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

But, after apparently failing to reach the resort itself, and after police opened fire, the vehicle then fled while being pursued by law enforcement. The SUV was later stopped and two individuals were taken into custody.

The reports of shots fired comes just hours before the president is expected to arrive in southern Florida, where he often goes for weekend trips and is his current official personal residence. He is expected to spend the Super Bowl weekend at the resort in Palm Beach.

Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort is a prominent target, and receives security attention even when the president is not in the buildings.

The Friday incident follows after an Chinese woman managed to talk her way through checkpoints at the resort last year, highlighting that the resort still falls below the security standards seen at the White House or other, more traditional, retreats favoured by past presidents.

"What's really important to understand is that a lot of people refer to Mar-a-Lago as the 'Winter White House,'" said Jonathan Wackr, a former Secret Service agent, in an interview with CNN last year. "It's not a government facility. It's a private commercial entity just like any other place the president goes on a temporary basis."