A gunman opened fire near the White House on Saturday evening, with US Secret Service agents killing the assailant in a shoot-out during which a bystander was also struck, authorities said.
President Donald Trump was in the White House at the time —
on a day when he was working to negotiate a deal with Iran — but was not
impacted by the incident, Secret Service communications chief Anthony Guglielmi
said in a statement.
The confrontation took place just after 6:00 pm (2200 GMT)
when a man near the White House security perimeter “pulled a weapon from his
bag and began firing.”
“Secret Service Police returned fire striking the suspect
who was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
During the shooting, one bystander was also struck by gunfire,” Guglielmi said,
without giving details on the bystander’s condition.
No Secret Service officers were hurt.
“Thank you to our great Secret Service and Law Enforcement
for the swift and professional action taken this evening against a gunman near
the White House, who had a violent history and possible obsession with our
Country’s most cherished structure,” Trump said on Truth Social early Sunday.
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.
Police and security forces swarmed the scene, cordoning off
access as National Guard troops blocked an AFP reporter from entering the area
in downtown Washington.
“We heard probably 20 to 25 what sounded like fireworks, but
they’re gunshots, and then everyone started running,” Canadian tourist Reid
Adrian told AFP.
Journalists who were on the White House North Lawn at the
time said they were ordered to run and shelter in the press briefing room.
ABC News correspondent Selina Wang had been recording a
video for social media when the 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.
Trump assassination attempts
Trump, 79, has been the target of three alleged
assassination attempts, the most recent of which took place on April 25 when an
armed man stormed a security checkpoint in a hotel where Trump was attending a
media gala.
The man never got close to Trump or the other guests
attending the event.
In July 2024, Trump was targeted during a campaign rally in
Butler, Pennsylvania. A gunman killed an audience member and lightly wounded
the then-candidate in the ear.
A few months later, another armed man was arrested on a West
Palm Beach golf course where Trump was playing a round.
“Thank God President Trump is safe,” House Republicans said
on X after the Saturday evening shooting.
“Endless gratitude to the Secret Service for their
immediate, heroic response. Political violence has to stop.”
Trump has cited security concerns as one of his reasons for
building a ballroom at the White House, tearing down the East Wing after taking
office again last year.
The $400 million project currently under construction will
feature, according to the New York real estate magnate, six floors below the
highly secure “drone-proof” ballroom, including an underground military
hospital.
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