A shootout erupted on Saturday evening just outside the White House gates, marking the third instance of gunfire in the immediate vicinity of President Donald Trump in less than a month.
The US Secret Service confirmed to The Associated Press that an armed individual who opened fire at a security checkpoint near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue was shot and killed after officers returned fire.
According to a law enforcement official speaking on the condition of anonymity, the deceased suspect has been identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best.
The agency stated that the incident began shortly after 6:00 p.m. local time) when the suspect pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing. Secret Service personnel immediately engaged the gunman, striking him. The suspect was rushed to a local hospital, where he was subsequently pronounced dead.
A bystander was also wounded during the exchange of gunfire, though officials have not yet determined if the individual was struck by the assailant’s opening rounds or the subsequent bullets fired by law enforcement.
The Secret Service reported that no officers sustained injuries. President Trump, who was present inside the executive mansion during the shootout, was not impacted by the incident.
The sudden burst of violence triggered an immediate security lockdown. Journalists working on the complex described hearing a rapid succession of gunshots before being ordered by security forces to take immediate shelter inside the White House press briefing room.
ABC News senior White House correspondent Selina Wang shared dramatic footage on social media documenting the moment she heard what she described as dozens of gunshots and ducked for cover. At the time the shots rang out, Wang was recording a standard video update regarding Trump’s earlier statements concerning a potential diplomatic agreement with Iran.
Following the shooting, the Metropolitan Police Department urged citizens to avoid the perimeter, while a heavy law enforcement presence secured the area. Yellow crime scene tape partitioned the sidewalk, and investigators placed dozens of orange evidence markers alongside discarded medical gear, including purple surgical gloves and emergency medical kits.
Saturday’s fatal encounter occurs amid a heightened climate of security threats surrounding the American president. On April 25, authorities thwarted what they described as an attempted assassination against Trump at a Washington hotel hosting the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.
Days later, on May 4, Secret Service personnel shot another armed suspect after he allegedly opened fire on law enforcement officers near the Washington Monument. A teenage bystander was wounded during that confrontation.
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