WASHINGTON – A person who opened fire Saturday on a White House security checkpoint is dead after being shot by officers who returned fire, the U.S. Secret Service said. It was the third incidence of gunfire in the vicinity of President Donald Trump in the past month.
The law enforcement agency reported that shortly after 6 p.m. ET, a suspect pulled a weapon from his bag at the intersection of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue and began firing. Officers responded with gunfire, hitting the suspect, who was taken to a hospital where he later died, according to the Secret Service.
The individual was identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best, as confirmed by a law enforcement official who preferred to remain anonymous due to the ongoing investigation.
This incident marks the third gunfire occurrence near the president within a month, following earlier events at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in April and near the Washington Monument in early May.
A bystander was also injured during Saturday’s shooting, although it remains unclear whether their injuries resulted from the suspect’s bullets or the officers’ return fire.
The Secret Service reported that none of its officers were injured during the incident, and President Trump, who was at the White House at the time, was not affected.
Journalists present at the White House during the shooting reported hearing multiple gunshots and were instructed to take shelter in the press briefing room.
FBI Director Kash Patel took to social media to inform the public that officers were responding to the gunfire and promised updates as more information became available.
Evidence of the shooting was visible on the sidewalk outside the White House complex, with yellow crime scene tape marking the area and numerous orange evidence markers placed by Secret Service officers. Medical materials, including purple surgical gloves and emergency kits, were also observed at the scene.
In a dramatic moment shared on social media, ABC News senior White House correspondent Selina Wang captured video footage showing her reaction to what she described as “dozens of gunshots” while filming a routine report. The video, which gained significant traction online, depicted her quickly ducking for cover as the sounds of gunfire erupted in the background.
The Metropolitan Police Department communicated via their social media that the Secret Service was actively handling the situation and advised the public to avoid the area. This location is not far from where a gunman previously ambushed two members of the West Virginia National Guard in November, resulting in the death of Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and critical injuries to another individual.
The recent gunfire incident follows a troubling pattern, with an attempted assassination of President Trump reported during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on April 25. The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, has pleaded not guilty to charges related to that incident and remains in federal custody.
In another alarming event earlier this month, Secret Service officers returned fire at a suspect who had opened fire near the Washington Monument. That suspect, Michael Marx, has since faced charges in connection with the shooting, which also resulted in injuries to a teenage bystander.
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Associated Press photojournalists Jose Luis Magana and Alex Brandon, along with AP writers Gary Fields, Meg Kinnard, and Matthew Daly, contributed to this report.
