Gunman Shot Dead Near White House After Opening Fire on Secret Service

A gunman opened fire on Secret Service agents near the White House on Saturday evening, triggering a lockdown and an exchange of gunfire that left the suspect dead and a bystander wounded.

The suspect, identified by US media as 21-year-old Nasire Best, pulled a revolver from his bag around 6:00 PM local time at the intersection of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW and began shooting at agents stationed at the White House checkpoint. Secret Service officers returned fire, striking Best, who was taken to hospital and pronounced dead.

President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time. The Secret Service confirmed no protectees or operations were impacted. Trump later thanked the officers on Truth Social for their “swift and professional action,” describing the suspect as having a “violent history and possible obsession with our Country’s most cherished structure.”

A bystander was also wounded in the shooting. The Secret Service has not provided further details on their condition. No agents were injured.

Who Is the Suspect?

Nasire Best, a resident of Washington DC for the past 18 months, was already known to the Secret Service. Law enforcement sources told CBS that Best had attempted to gain entry to the White House in July 2025 and was arrested near the compound, after which he spent time at a psychiatric facility. Reports also indicate Best believed he was Jesus Christ and “wanted to get arrested.”

The incident is being treated as a mental health-related case rather than a planned assassination attempt. The investigation remains ongoing.

Chaos at the White House

The shooting sent journalists and staff scrambling for cover. ABC News White House correspondent Selina Wang was recording near the north lawn when a volley of gunshots rang out. Footage shows her ducking for cover as the sound of multiple gunshots echoed across the White House grounds.

The White House was placed under immediate lockdown, which has since been lifted. Road closures around the complex are expected to remain in place as the investigation continues.

This is the second security incident near the White House in just over a month, following a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April.

Sources: BBC, ABC News, CBS News, Bloomberg, Fox News