21-year-old Nasire Best allegedly opened fire on a security checkpoint near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW at around 6pm local time (11pm Irish time). According to officials, Best removed a handgun from a bag before firing toward officers stationed at the checkpoint.
Secret Service agents returned fire, fatally wounding the suspect. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead. A bystander was also injured during the exchange of gunfire, though authorities say it remains unclear whether the person was struck by shots fired by Best or by return fire from officers.
President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time of the shooting but was unharmed. The White House complex was briefly placed into lockdown while federal agents secured the area and launched an investigation. FBI agents are now assisting the Secret Service with the inquiry.
US media reports say Best was previously known to law enforcement after earlier attempts to approach the White House, including at least one prior incident which reportedly resulted in a court-issued “stay away” order.
Authorities have not yet confirmed a motive for the attack, and it remains unclear whether President Trump was the intended target. If confirmed as an assassination attempt, it would mark the third major security threat involving Trump in recent months.
Following the incident, Trump praised the Secret Service for their “swift and professional” response. The president also renewed his calls for the construction of a new high-security White House ballroom, arguing the shooting “shows how important it is, for all future presidents, to get what will be the safest and most secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C.”
Witnesses near the scene reported hearing as many as 20 to 30 gunshots during the exchange, with journalists inside the White House press briefing room temporarily ordered to shelter in place while the situation unfolded.
