WASHINGTON(National Times)- A gunman opened fire near the White House on Saturday evening, with US Secret Service agents killing the assailant in a shoot-out during which a bystander was also struck, authorities said.
President Donald Trump was in the White House at the time — on a day when he was working to negotiate a deal with Iran — but was not impacted by the incident, Secret Service communications chief Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.
The confrontation took place just after 6pm (3am PKT) when a man near the White House security perimeter “pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing”.
“Secret Service Police returned fire striking the suspect who was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. During the shooting one bystander was also struck by gunfire,” Guglielmi said, without giving details on the bystander’s condition.
Multiple US media identified the suspect as Nasire Best, 21, of Maryland, reporting that Best had a history of mental health concerns and had multiple prior interactions with Secret Service members.
No Secret Service officers were hurt.
Police and security forces swarmed the scene, cordoning off access as National Guard troops blocked an AFP reporter from entering the area in downtown Washington.
The shooting occurred near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, adjacent to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, a massive government complex located directly next to the White House compound and connected to the nerve centre of the American presidency.
According to the United States Secret Service, the suspect approached a Secret Service security checkpoint carrying a weapon in a bag before opening fire toward officers stationed inside a security booth. Agents immediately returned fire, critically wounding the attacker, who was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Law enforcement sources said between 15 and 30 shots may have been fired during the incident. Journalists gathered on the White House North Lawn reported hearing rapid gunfire before Secret Service personnel rushed members of the media indoors as the complex went into lockdown.
The lockdown was lifted shortly before 7pm.
ABC News correspondent Selina Wang had been recording a video for social media when the gunfire broke out, capturing the sounds of the shots as she dove to the ground.
The dramatic incident came at a particularly sensitive moment. Media crews from across the world had assembled at the White House because Trump had just announced that Washington was close to finalising what he described as a potential peace deal or breakthrough agreement with Iran.
The unusually heavy media presence meant that many journalists directly witnessed the chaos as gunfire shattered the evening calm around the White House complex.
The shooting also revived memories of past security scares involving American presidents, including the April 26 incident near the Washington Hilton involving Trump, as well as the 1981 assassination attempt on president Ronald Reagan outside the same hotel — an attack that permanently transformed presidential security procedures in the US.
Despite initial fears, officials stressed there was never a serious direct threat to Trump himself. Reports said the president was inside the White House, possibly in or near the Oval Office, when the shooting erupted. However, the Oval Office is located at a considerable distance from the Pennsylvania Avenue perimeter where the attack occurred.
The White House itself is protected by extensive layers of security, including reinforced barriers, heavily armed tactical teams and bullet-resistant windows reportedly several inches thick and capable of stopping high-calibre rounds.
Security around the president had also remained especially tight in recent months because of heightened concerns following previous threats and incidents involving presidential candidates and public appearances.
The area surrounding the shooting scene is among the most secure and closely monitored locations in America.
The Eisenhower Executive Office Building houses numerous White House staff offices and sits directly beside the West Wing. The headquarters of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are located only a short distance away.
The neighbourhood is also a major tourist zone because of its proximity to the White House. Restaurants, souvenir shops, cafes, office buildings and cultural venues, including an art gallery, operate in the vicinity. Lafayette Square — the historic park facing the White House — is usually crowded with tourists, demonstrators, police patrols and television crews.
The district routinely hosts a heavy concentration of law enforcement personnel, including the Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, uniformed police officers and various federal security units.
Officials said the suspect reportedly had a history of mental health issues, though investigators had not publicly identified him late Saturday night and no motive had yet been established.
The incident prompted a large-scale emergency response as police vehicles, ambulances and federal agents flooded the area while helicopters circled overhead and roads around the White House complex were temporarily sealed off.
Authorities said investigations into the shooting were continuing.
