WASHINGTON — A gunman opened fire near the White House on Saturday evening, prompting a shootout with United States Secret Service agents that left the suspect dead and a bystander critically wounded, authorities said.
President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time of the incident but was not harmed, according to Secret Service communications chief Anthony Guglielmi.
The Secret Service said the confrontation began shortly after 6 p.m. local time near the White House security perimeter when a man allegedly pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing.
Secret Service officers returned fire and struck the suspect, who was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead, authorities said. A bystander was also hit during the exchange of gunfire and was reported to be in critical condition, according to a law enforcement official cited by the Associated Press.
Authorities identified the suspect as 21-year-old Nasire Best of Maryland. US media reported that he had a history of mental health concerns and previous interactions with the Secret Service.
Law enforcement agencies, including the Secret Service, the Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, responded to the scene near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, about a block from the White House.
Journalists inside the White House complex reported hearing multiple gunshots and were instructed to shelter inside the press briefing room. ABC News correspondent Selina Wang captured the sound of gunfire while recording a video report near the White House grounds.
Canadian tourist Reid Adrian told Agence France-Presse that he heard “20 to 25” sounds resembling fireworks before people began running from the area.
In a post on Truth Social early Sunday, Trump thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement officers for what he described as their “swift and professional action” during the incident.
Saturday’s shooting marked the latest in a series of security incidents involving Trump. In April, authorities said a man attempted to breach security during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington. In May, Secret Service officers shot another suspect near the Washington Monument after authorities said he fired at officers.
Trump also survived an assassination attempt during a July 2024 campaign rally in Butler, where a gunman wounded him in the ear before authorities shot the attacker. Another armed suspect was later arrested at a golf course in West Palm Beach while Trump was playing there.