A man was fatally shot by Secret Service officers after approaching a White House security checkpoint and firing a weapon on Monday evening in Washington, DC.
The suspect opened fire shortly after 6 p.m. local time near the checkpoint on the White House perimeter. Secret Service Police returned fire and struck the suspect, who was transported to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead, according to Anthony Guglielmi, the U.S. Secret Service chief of communications.
What Happened
The man pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing at officers stationed at the security checkpoint. “Secret Service Police returned fire striking the suspect who was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased,” Guglielmi said.
Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Nasire Best. Five senior law enforcement officials told NBC News that Best had a documented history with local law enforcement and mental health concerns.
One bystander was struck by gunfire during the incident. The Secret Service said it remained unclear whether the bystander was hit by the suspect’s initial gunfire or during the subsequent exchange of fire.
NBC News reported that journalists on the White House north lawn heard between 20 and 30 gunshots at approximately 6:04 p.m. local time. White House correspondents were rushed inside the press briefing room by Secret Service agents as the building entered lockdown, with restrictions lifted about 40 minutes later.
Official Response
President Donald Trump, who was inside the White House at the time, posted on Truth Social thanking officers for their “swift and professional action” against the gunman, describing him as having “a violent history and possible obsession with our Country’s most cherished structure.”
The Secret Service confirmed that the officers involved in the shooting were not harmed. Crime scene tape was placed across the pavement where the gunfire occurred, with dozens of orange evidence markers placed on the ground.
Ongoing Security Concerns
Sky’s U.S. correspondent David Blevins noted that the incident raised fresh questions about the president’s security. “Law enforcement is on high alert in the city, but the fact that the White House has gone back into lockdown over another shooting incident will raise fresh questions about the president’s security,” Blevins said.
This marks the third reported incident involving threats to Trump in two years, following incidents in Butler, Pennsylvania, and at his golf course in Florida.
This story has been updated. CNN’s reporting team contributed to this report.
