Person shot near Washington Monument, US Secret Service says

· DW

The White House was briefly locked down on Monday after the US Secret Service said an individual was shot by law enforcement near the Washington Monument.

An individual was shot by law enforcement near the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. on Monday, according to the US Secret Service.

What do we know so far? 

"US Secret ‌Service personnel are ‌on ​the scene of an officer-involved shooting at 15th ​Street and Independence Avenue in Washington, ⁠D.C.," read a statement on social media. "One ​individual was shot ​by law ‌enforcement."

Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn later said that the suspect opened fire after being confronted by police officers, who returned fire.

A bystander was reportedly struck by the suspect. Their condition was not immediately clear but a spokesman for the local fire department told the Associated Press that emergency services transported an adult male to hospital and were treating what appeared to be a teenage male for minor injuries. 

White House was under temporary lockdown

The nearby White House, where US President Donald Trump was reportedly attending a small business meeting, was reportedly briefly locked down.

Vice President JD Vance transited through the area in a motorcade not long before the shooting, but there is reportedly no indication that he was a target.

The incident comes just over a week after a gunman tried to storm the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, wounding a Secret Service officer.

Edited by: Wesley Dockery