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A man who opened fire near a White House security checkpoint on Saturday was shot dead by U.S. Secret Service officers after they returned fire, authorities said.
The incident occurred shortly after 6:00 pm local time near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, close to the White House complex, reports AP.
According to the Secret Service, the suspect pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing before officers responded, injuring him critically. He later died in a hospital.
Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as 21-year-old Nasire Best.
Officials said a bystander was also injured during the shooting, although investigators have not yet confirmed whether the person was struck by bullets fired by the suspect or by officers responding to the attack.
No Secret Service personnel were injured, and President Donald Trump, who was inside the White House at the time, was not harmed, the agency said.
Court records show Best had previously been arrested in July 2025 after allegedly attempting to enter a White House checkpoint without authorization. Authorities said he ignored officers’ commands, claimed he was “Jesus Christ” and expressed a desire to be arrested. A court later issued a stay-away order against him, followed by a bench warrant over noncompliance.
The shooting marked the third gunfire-related incident near Trump in the past month, following separate episodes during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in April and another near the Washington Monument earlier this month.
FBI Director Kash Patel said FBI personnel were assisting in the investigation.
The area around the White House was cordoned off following the incident as investigators collected evidence from the scene.