A MAN has been shot dead by US Secret Service officers after opening fire on a security checkpoint near the White House, with a bystander wounded in the gunfire.
Shortly after 6pm on Saturday (22:00 GMT), the suspect approached a Secret Service checkpoint at the intersection of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC, pulled a weapon from his bag, and began shooting at officers posted there.
The Secret Service, the federal agency responsible for protecting the president, confirmed the sequence of events in an official statement, saying a preliminary investigation indicated that the suspect had concealed his weapon in a bag before drawing it at the checkpoint.
The agents returned fire, striking the man, who was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
A bystander was also hit during the shooting, though authorities said it remained unclear whether they were struck by the suspect’s initial gunfire or during the exchange that followed.
President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time and was not harmed. The White House was immediately placed under lockdown.
No Secret Service personnel were injured.
Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said he was closely monitoring the situation and would issue a statement soon. “Tonight’s shooting is a reminder of the dangers our law enforcement officers face every day,” Mullin said on X.
Republicans in the House of Representatives posted on X to confirm Trump was safe, while the White House itself issued no immediate statement on the president’s condition.
Steve Scalise, the Republican House Majority Leader, posted on X, expressing his thoughts for the president and adding, “We live in dangerous times.”
More than 30 shots were heard from the White House North Lawn, according to Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett, reporting from the scene.
Journalists on the lawn were ordered to run and take shelter inside the press briefing room. Police cordoned off access to the surrounding area, and National Guard troops blocked reporters from approaching.
Halkett said the suspect had recently been issued a stay-away order, which he had ignored. He approached the area and started shooting, at which point the Secret Service officers returned fire.
The suspect was later transferred to George Washington Hospital, Halkett said.