A suspect who fired a gun toward the White House in the United States was shot and killed.
On the 23rd, local time, major outlets including CBS reported that a man who approached and rammed a security checkpoint near the White House in Washington, D.C., was shot and killed by return fire from the Secret Service (SS). At the time of the incident, U.S. President Donald Trump was staying at the White House and was unharmed, CBS said. Secret Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and police officers sealed off the scene and the case is under investigation.
In a statement about the incident posted on X (formerly Twitter) under the communications chief's name, the SS said, "At around 6 p.m. at the intersection of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, a man took a weapon out of a bag and began firing," adding, "SS agents returned fire and struck the suspect, who was transported to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead."
It added, "In the process, one passerby was also shot, but it is unclear whether the person was hit by the gunman's rounds or by the SS agents' return fire," and "No SS agents were injured."
CBS, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that the deceased suspect was identified as 21-year-old Nashier Best. The person also attempted to enter the White House in July last year and was arrested, and at the time was diagnosed with mental illness and sent to a psychiatric ward.
The intersection where the shooting occurred is near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building within the White House complex, only about 200 meters in a straight line from the White House's main building.
According to law enforcement officials cited by CBS, between 15 and 30 shots were heard at the time of the incident. The SS then temporarily locked down the White House and ordered the press corps on the North Lawn to evacuate.
Kash Patel, the FBI Director-General, also said on X right after the incident, "The FBI has responded to the scene and is supporting the SS responding to the shooting incident near the White House," adding, "We will release additional information when possible."
In just the past month, there have been three shootings near the White House. On the 4th, at an intersection southeast of the Washington Monument near the White House, an armed suspect fired at law enforcement officers, leading to a shootout. On the 25th of last month, a gunman armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and knives fired and charged through a security checkpoint near the banquet hall of the Washington Hilton Hotel, where the White House Correspondents' Association dinner was being held, and was subdued by authorities immediately after passing through.