The White House was placed under lockdown on Saturday evening after a shooting incident near a security checkpoint outside the complex left two people wounded, including the suspect, according to the U.S. Secret Service.
Secret Service officials said the incident unfolded shortly before 6 p.m. ET when an individual approached a checkpoint near the White House grounds and opened fire on officers. Agents returned fire, striking the suspect, who was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
“During the shooting, a bystander was also struck by gunfire. It remains unclear whether the bystander was struck by the suspect’s initial gunfire or during the subsequent exchange of gunfire,” a Secret Service spokesperson said.
The bystander is currently in critical condition, according to a law enforcement official. No Secret Service personnel were injured in the exchange, and President Donald Trump, who was inside the White House residence at the time, was not affected. A White House official said he has been briefed on the incident.
The shooting triggered a rapid lockdown of the White House complex and a heavy security response. Press members on the North Lawn were rushed indoors into the briefing room as agents shouted “get down” and warned of “shots fired,” according to multiple reporters on the scene.
CNN reporters said they heard what appeared to be dozens of gunshots shortly after 6 p.m. ET, prompting a roughly 40-minute lockdown before it was lifted just after 6:45 p.m. ET. CBS News similarly reported hearing around 20 shots near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building side of the complex.
ABC News chief White House correspondent Selina Wang described the chaos in a social media post, saying the sound of gunfire forced reporters to take cover. She wrote that “it sounded like dozens of gunshots” and added that “we were told to sprint to the press briefing room where we are holding now.”
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed federal involvement, writing on social media: “FBI is on the scene and supporting Secret Service responding to shots fired near White House grounds – we will update the public as we’re able.”
The Secret Service said in an earlier statement that there were “reports of shots fired near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW and are working to corroborate the information with personnel on the ground.”
Armed agents were seen moving across the North Lawn and securing access points around the briefing room as the situation unfolded.
The situation remains under investigation, with officials expected to provide further updates as more details become available.
