A man approached a checkpoint at the intersection of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House, pulled a gun from his bag and opened fire on law enforcement officers, the Secret Service said in a statement sent to Reuters. The officers returned fire and hit the suspect, who later died in hospital.
A bystander was also struck by gunfire, according to the statement. It remains unclear how serious his injuries were, or whether he was hit when the gunman opened fire or during the subsequent exchange of fire.
The suspect has been identified as a person with mental health problems, a law enforcement official said. AP News reports that he has been identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best.
According to District of Columbia court records, Best was arrested in July 2025 after he attempted to enter another White House checkpoint without authorization, ignored officers' orders to stop, claimed to be Jesus Christ and said he wanted to be arrested. A preliminary hearing was held and a pretrial restraining order was issued, which typically bars a defendant from approaching a particular person or place before trial. In August, a warrant was issued against Best following notification of failure to comply with conditions. Best appeared at the subsequent hearing.
No members of the security forces suffered injuries, the Secret Service said. It added that President Donald Trump was in the White House at the time of the incident.
Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, the president thanked "great Secret Service and Law Enforcement for the swift and professional action". He wrote that the shooter had a "possible obsession with our Country’s most cherished structure".
The shooting occurred as ABC News correspondent Selina Wang was filming a report for social media nearby; she and her crew quickly took cover.
The incident took place nearly a month after a gunman opened fire at a hotel where the White House Correspondents' Association dinner was being held, prompting the swift removal of Trump and other officials from the venue.
(reuters, ap, luc)