Updated ,first published
Washington: The White House was placed on lockdown after gunshots rang out near the building, forcing reporters on the front lawn to take cover and the Secret Service to secure the property.
Secret Service officials confirmed he shot a man near the White House grounds after he approached a checkpoint, “pulled a weapon from his bag and started firing”.
The suspect was taken to a hospital and later died, the Secret Service said, and a bystander was shot. It was not known whether they were hit by the initial gunfire or during the ensuing gunfight.
Reuters reported that the suspect was identified as an emotionally disturbed person and that they had been given a “stay away order” earlier, citing a law enforcement official.
The incident occurred at 6:00 p.m. Saturday (Washington time) when President Donald Trump and other senior officials were inside the building, dealing with the ongoing situation in Iran. He was not affected by the incident, the Secret Service said.
A moving video showed ABC News America correspondent Selina Wang crawling on the North Lawn of the White House as loud noises could be heard while she was on the air.
Journalists were locked inside the press conference room during the lockdown, with the Secret Service patrolling the grounds. The lockdown was later lifted, indicating the emergency threat had subsided.
Washington police said the Secret Service was responding to an incident at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street, which is on the northwest corner of the White House grounds, next to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau was on the scene to assist the Secret Service and would provide an update later.
The incident comes just weeks after a gunman allegedly targeted Trump and other administration officials in the area The annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Washington.
Secret Service agents were also involved in a gunfight with a man near the White House grounds earlier this month.
Kris Brown, president of Brady, an anti-gun violence lobbying group, said Americans must acknowledge that the relentless shooting violence across the country and in Washington is unique to the United States among industrialized nations.
“As we wait for more information about the shooter and where they got their weapons, this is another reminder that preventing gun violence and political violence should be a universal goal for all of our elected officials,” he said.
Get direct mail from our visitors journalists on what is making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.
Michael Koziol is the North American correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, deputy editor of the Sun-Herald and federal political reporter in Canberra.Connect through X or email address.
