Suspect Dead After Exchange of Gunfire With Secret Service Near White House

UPDATED: The lawn and the presidential palace itself were sealed off after a series of gunfire erupted near the site, as reported by several publications and recorded on video. The incident happened around 6:00 ET.

The Secret Service said a person approached the checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, pulled a weapon from his bag and began shooting at officers. Secret Service officers returned fire and hit the suspect, who died at a nearby hospital. A bystander was also hit, but it was not clear whether that person was hit by the suspect or when the shots were fired.

“Secret Service personnel were not injured. The President was in the White House at the time of the incident but was not affected,” said law enforcement.

FBI Director Kash Patel tweeted that federal authorities were on the scene “supporting the Secret Service in response to shots fired near the White House grounds” and that updates would be provided as soon as possible.

The shooting range is outside the perimeter on the west side of the White House building, but the West Wing is blocked from view by the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

Many journalists were already present as part of the media pool, as Donald Trump wrote a few hours earlier on social media from the Oval Office that the peace agreement to end the war in Iran was “very negotiated.”

More than 20 to 30 shots were fired, according to NBC News reporter Julie Tsirkin. He wrote: “The secret service told those of us who were gathered on the north lawn to run inside the press room.

Meanwhile, ABC News reporter Selena Wang wrote that she was in the middle of filming a social media video when she and her team were interrupted by the sound of gunfire, and quickly retreated.

“We were told to run to the press conference room where they are holding us now,” he said.

Secret Service agents were seen on the grounds with weapons drawn, telling reporters to “get down” before being ushered into a West Wing press briefing room, according to Fox News. The outlet also said the media heard gunshots near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

According to CNN, the gag was lifted after 45 minutes. Cable news networks turned to reporting on the incident throughout the night.

The shooting occurred less than a month after gunfire erupted during the White House Correspondents Dinner. Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and VP JD Vance were among those who flocked to the Washington Hilton ballroom under orders from the Secret Service. The quick scene was captured live on C-SPAN cameras.

Ted Johnson of the appointed day, who was inside, said, “I heard what sounded like four shots, and it seemed to come from the hall just outside the entertainment room near my table.”

The suspect in the April 25 shooting, Cole Tomas Allen, recently pleaded not guilty after being charged with attempting to kill POTUS. Allen was also charged with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and transporting a firearm and ammunition in commerce.

On May 4, a man opened fire on Secret Service agents as they chased him down 15th Street and Independence Avenue, a few blocks from the White House but along Vance’s motorcade, authorities said. The gunman, Michael Marx, of Midland, Texas, was shot in the hand, left side and upper abdomen, and is charged with assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon, using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. An unidentified witness was also injured in the leg during the incident.

Security at the White House itself has been a concern for decades, with major barriers to access set in place for various incidents. A high fence has been installed around the perimeter following security breaches including an incident in 2014 when a man climbed a fence and entered the Executive Mansion.

The north side of the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue was closed to traffic in 1995, due to concerns about a car or truck bomb. But recently access has been limited to pedestrians, too, as the plaza in front of the White House fence has been partially taken over by construction equipment to build the new East Wing ballroom. Lafayette Park is also closed for construction.