The Secret Service is investigating the alleged shooting, with an Al Jazeera correspondent saying more than 30 gunshots were heard from the north lawn.
Shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday, the suspect approached a Secret Service checkpoint at the intersection of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC, pulled a weapon from his backpack and began firing at officers stationed there.
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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 the suspect hid his weapon in a bag before being taken to the checkpoint.
The agents returned fire, wounding the man, who was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
A bystander was also killed during the shooting, although officials said it was unclear whether he was injured by the suspect’s initial gunfire or during the subsequent gunfire.
US President Donald Trump was inside the White House at that time and he was not harmed. The White House was immediately locked down.
No Secret Service personnel were injured.
US Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said he was monitoring the situation closely 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.
House Republicans posted on Twitter to confirm Trump was safe, while the White House did not immediately issue a statement on the president’s condition.
Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise posted on Twitter, expressing his thoughts for the president and saying: “We live in dangerous times.”
According to Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett, reporting from the scene, more than 30 gunshots were heard from the White House North Lawn.
Journalists on the lawn were ordered to run and take shelter inside the press briefing room. Police cordoned off the surrounding area and National Guard troops prevented journalists from entering.
Hellkett said the suspect had recently been issued a stay-away order, which he ignored. He reached the area anyway, at which point the Secret Service returned fire when he began firing.
The suspect was later transferred to George Washington Hospital, Halkett said.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that his agency was supporting the Secret Service, saying on social media that he would “update the public as soon as possible.”
White House communications director Steven Cheung, attempting to remain calm, posted on Twitter that Trump was “working at 8pm. Can’t stop, won’t stop.”
Saturday’s shooting comes less than a month after what law enforcement officials described as an attempt to assassinate Trump on April 25, when a suspect was arrested at a Washington hotel hosting the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, a gathering of journalists and public figures.
“These incidents are occurring with increasing frequency,” Halkett said.
That incident raised new questions on the security arrangements around the President.
The suspect’s identity and motive have not been publicly released. The Secret Service said the investigation is ongoing.
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