Suspect dies after trading gunfire with officers near White House, US Secret Service says
A bystander was also shot during the exchange of fire, the agency said.
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WASHINGTON: A gunman who fired at a White House checkpoint was shot by officers and died after being taken to the hospital on Saturday evening (May 23), the US Secret Service said.
The man approached the checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House, pulled a gun out of his bag and started shooting at officers, according to a Secret Service statement.
"Secret Service police officers returned fire, striking the suspect, who was transported to an area hospital, where he later died," the statement said.
A bystander was struck by gunfire, the statement said, but it did not make clear how badly the person was hurt. Another Secret Service statement, cited by multiple news outlets, said it was not clear whether the bystander was hit when the gunman began shooting or during the subsequent exchange of gunfire.
The shooting suspect was identified as an emotionally disturbed person, a law enforcement official told Reuters, adding that a "stay-away order" had been issued to him previously.
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 law enforcement personnel were injured, the Secret Service said, adding that US President Donald Trump was at the White House during the incident.
In a social media post on early Sunday, Trump thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement for their "swift and professional action" against the gunman.
The US president said that the man had a "violent history and possible obsession with our country’s most cherished structure".
Trump noted that the latest incident comes nearly a month after a gunman fired shots inside the hotel hosting the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
He said this "goes to show how important it is, for all future presidents, to get, what will be, the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington".
A law enforcement official told Reuters earlier that the shooting suspect was "down" and taken to George Washington Hospital, adding that a bystander was also shot and that both individuals were said to be in critical condition.
Earlier, the US Secret Service also said it was investigating the incident and FBI Director Kash Patel said his agency was supporting the probe.
Canadian tourist Reid Adrian told AFP he was in the area when "we heard probably 20 to 25 what sounded like fireworks, but they're gunshots, and then everyone started running."
Journalists who were on the White House North Lawn at the time said on X that they were ordered to run and shelter in the press briefing room.
Fox News host Bret Baier cited a senior administration official as saying that a gunman approached the west side of the White House and fired three times.
Secret Service agents returned fire and shot the gunman, while a bystander was struck in the exchange, he said on X. The gunman never breached the White House security perimeter.
ABC News correspondent Selina Wang had been recording a video for social media when the apparent gunfire broke out, capturing the sounds of the shots as she dove to the ground.
"It sounded like dozens of gunshots," she said on X.
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