Secret Service kills gunman who opened fire near White House

A suspect opened fire at a White House security checkpoint on Saturday evening and was shot dead by Secret Service agents in Washington DC.

A bystander was also wounded in the incident, though no officers were injured. Trump was inside the White House at the time and was not affected.

“Thank you to our great Secret Service and Law Enforcement for the swift and professional action taken this evening against a gunman near the White House,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that the suspect had a “violent history and possible obsession with our Country’s most cherished structure.”

The suspect was identified as Nasire Best, a 21-year-old man known to both the Secret Service and the Metropolitan Police Department. 

Best had attempted to gain entry to the White House in July 2025, was arrested nearby, and subsequently spent time at a psychiatric facility. He had been living in Washington DC for 18 months and had a documented history of mental health conditions.

The shooting took place shortly before 6pm local time at the intersection of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, when Best pulled a revolver from his bag and began firing. 

Secret Service officers returned fire and struck him. He was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. 

Road closures around the White House were expected to remain in place overnight as the incident remained under investigation.

Reporters on the White House grounds were rushed into a press briefing room when shots rang out. Reporters were held in the briefing room for around 30 minutes.

The shooting came only a month after a separate gunman disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.