White House Security Breach Results in Fatal Shooting
A man who fired a gun at a White House security post died after being shot by responding officers, according to the U.S. Secret Service. This marks the third shooting incident near President Donald Trump in the past month.
The Secret Service stated that the individual, identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best, drew a weapon from a bag in the area of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue shortly after 6 p.m. Eastern Time. Agents responded with gunfire, injuring the suspect, who was then taken to a hospital where he later died.
A bystander was also injured during the incident. However, it remains unclear whether the injury was caused by shots from the suspect or the agents. The Secret Service reported no injuries among their agents, and President Trump, who was inside the White House at the time, was unaffected.
Journalists at the White House on Saturday night reported hearing gunshots and were instructed to seek shelter within the press briefing room. Evidence of the shooting was visible near the White House complex, marked by crime scene tape, dozens of orange evidence markers, and medical materials such as surgical gloves and emergency kits.
ABC News White House correspondent Selina Wang posted a video on social media that captured the sound of gunfire. She was recording a routine task when the incident occurred. Her video, which captured the sound of what she described as dozens of shots, had been viewed over 3 million times by Saturday night.
The Metropolitan Police Department reported that the Secret Service was handling the scene and advised the public to avoid the area. The location is near where a gunman attacked two members of the West Virginia National Guard last November, resulting in one death and severe injury to another.
The shooting on Saturday follows an alleged attempted assassination of President Trump on April 25 during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Cole Tomas Allen from California was charged but pleaded not guilty. Days later, Secret Service agents shot at a suspect near the Washington Monument. Michael Marx from Texas was charged in that incident.