Washington (United States) (AFP) – A gunman opened fire near the White House on Saturday evening, with US Secret Service agents killing the assailant in a shoot-out during which a bystander was also struck, authorities said. President Donald Trump was in the White House at the time — on a day when he was working to negotiate a deal with Iran — but was not impacted by the incident, Secret Service communications chief Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.
The confrontation took place just after 6:00 pm (2200 GMT) when a man near the White House security perimeter “pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing.” “Secret Service Police returned fire, striking the suspect, who was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. During the shooting, one bystander was also struck by gunfire,” Guglielmi said, without giving details on the bystander’s condition. No Secret Service officers were hurt.
“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, who had a violent history and possible obsession with our country’s most cherished structure,” Trump said on Truth Social early Sunday. Multiple US media identified the suspect as Nasire Best, 21, of Maryland, reporting that Best had a history of mental health concerns and had multiple prior interactions with Secret Service members.
Police and security forces swarmed the scene, cordoning off access as National Guard troops blocked an AFP reporter from entering the area in downtown Washington. “We heard probably 20 to 25 what sounded like fireworks, but they’re gunshots, and then everyone started running,” Canadian tourist Reid Adrian told AFP. Journalists who were on the White House North Lawn at the time said they were ordered to run and shelter in the press briefing room.
ABC News correspondent Selina Wang had been recording a video for social media when the gunfire broke out, capturing the sounds of the shots as she dove to the ground. “It sounded like dozens of gunshots,” she said on X.
Trump, 79, has been the target of three alleged assassination attempts, the most recent of which took place on April 25 when an armed man stormed a security checkpoint in a hotel where Trump was attending a media gala. The man never got close to Trump or the other guests attending the event. In July 2024, Trump was targeted during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A gunman killed an audience member and lightly wounded the then-candidate in the ear. A few months later, another armed man was arrested on a West Palm Beach golf course where Trump was playing a round.
“Thank God President Trump is safe,” House Republicans said on X after the Saturday evening shooting. “Endless gratitude to the Secret Service for their immediate, heroic response. Political violence has to stop.” Trump has cited security concerns as one of his reasons for building a ballroom at the White House, tearing down the East Wing after taking office again last year. The $400 million project currently under construction will feature, according to the New York real estate magnate, six floors below the highly secure “drone-proof” ballroom, including an underground military hospital.
© 2024 AFP
