Secret Service Shoots and Kills Armed Man at White House Security Checkpoint

A man who pulled a gun from a bag and opened fire at a Secret Service security checkpoint near the White House is dead, shot by officers who returned fire. The brief but violent exchange Saturday evening locked down the presidential residence and sent reporters scrambling for cover.

The shooting happened shortly after 6 p.m. at the checkpoint located at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. According to a statement from the Secret Service, a male suspect approached the post, produced a firearm from a bag, and began firing at officers. Agents returned fire almost immediately. The suspect was struck, transported to a local hospital, and later pronounced dead.

Authorities identified the deceased on Sunday as 21-year-old Nasire Best from Dundalk, Maryland. The Metropolitan Police Department confirmed the identification.

A bystander was also caught in the crossfire. The victim, an adult male, sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound and remains hospitalized. Police did not release his name.

The Secret Service confirmed that President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time of the shooting and was not injured. No Secret Service agents were hurt. A White House official stated that the president had been briefed about the incident. Early Sunday morning, Trump posted on Truth Social, thanking law enforcement for their actions and repeating a call for building what he described as "the most safe and secure space of its kind" – an apparent reference to the White House ballroom project.

The moment of the shooting was anything but secure. An NBC News team stationed at the White House reported hearing between 20 and 30 gunshots around 6:04 p.m. Secret Service agents stationed outside on the North Lawn urgently yelled at reporters gathered there to run inside the press briefing room. Agents were then seen posted just outside that room with their guns drawn.

The White House went into immediate lockdown, including the surrounding grounds. The lockdown was lifted at 6:46 p.m., roughly 40 minutes after the shooting began.

Best, it turns out, was no stranger to law enforcement or the Secret Service. Five senior law enforcement officials told reporters that he had a documented history with local police, including mental health concerns. Court documents filed in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia reveal a pattern of troubling behavior.

On July 10, Best was arrested on a charge of unlawful entry after he walked into a restricted area near the White House. During that incident, he reportedly claimed to be Jesus Christ and stated that he wanted to get arrested. The same court filing noted that the Secret Service was already aware of Best for walking around the White House complex and asking personnel at various entry points how to gain access. In June of that year, he was involuntarily committed for obstructing vehicle entry to the White House complex.

A possible motive for Saturday's shooting remains unclear. What is clear is that the suspect managed to bring a firearm to one of the most heavily guarded locations in the world and discharge it before being stopped.

The shooting occurred on the west end of Pennsylvania Avenue, a pedestrian plaza that runs along the north side of the White House. Days earlier, part of that plaza had reopened to the public following a monthslong closure. That reopening proved brief.

Multiple federal and local agencies are now involved in the investigation. The Secret Service confirmed the shooting remains under active investigation. The officer-involved shooting is also being investigated separately by the Metropolitan Police Department. FBI Director Kash Patel stated on X that the FBI was on the scene and supporting the Secret Service. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is also assisting both the Secret Service and the Metropolitan Police Department.

Vice President JD Vance was at the White House earlier on Sunday, but officials have not clarified whether he was present at the time of the shooting. The U.S. Capitol Police did not immediately respond to requests for additional information.

For now, the security perimeter around the White House remains tight, the investigation continues, and one 21-year-old from Maryland is dead. The bystander who was shot is expected to survive.