A 21-year-old man was fatally shot by U.S. Secret Service officers Saturday evening after opening fire at a security checkpoint just outside the White House complex. The suspect, identified as Nasire Best, approached the intersection of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW shortly after 6 p.m. ET, drew a weapon from his bag, and began firing toward agents.
Secret Service officers immediately returned fire, striking Best. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A bystander was also wounded during the exchange of gunfire and remained in serious but stable condition as of Sunday. No Secret Service personnel sustained injuries during the encounter.
President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time of the incident. A Secret Service spokesperson confirmed that the President was never in danger and that “no protectees or operations were impacted.” The White House was briefly placed on lockdown as a precaution, with journalists on the North Lawn ushered into the press briefing room until the scene was secured. The lockdown was lifted by 7 p.m. ET.
Authorities disclosed that Best was previously known to law enforcement. According to court records, he was arrested in July 2025 after attempting to breach a White House checkpoint. A "pretrial stay-away order" had been issued to bar him from the area, which he was in violation of during Saturday's shooting.
President Trump addressed the incident on Truth Social early Sunday, thanking the Secret Service for their “swift and professional action.” He noted that the gunman had a “violent history and possible obsession with our Country’s most cherished structure.” The President further emphasised the necessity of bolstering security measures, stating that the event, occurring one month after the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, demonstrates the need for “the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C.”
The FBI is currently assisting the Secret Service and local police with the ongoing investigation into the suspect’s motives and actions.