Gunman Fires Near White House, Secret Service Responds

WASHINGTON — A man was fatally shot by U.S. Secret Service officers on Saturday evening after he opened fire at a security checkpoint near the White House, authorities said. The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best of Dundalk, Maryland, approached the checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW around 6 p.m. ET, pulled a weapon from his bag, and began firing at posted officers, according to a Secret Service statement. Officers returned fire, striking Best, who was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead. A civilian bystander was also wounded in the exchange and transported for treatment. President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time and was not impacted. The White House was placed on lockdown, with the North Lawn cleared and reporters ordered into the press briefing room. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the FBI was on the scene supporting the Secret Service. The lockdown was lifted around 6:45 p.m. ET. Best had prior run-ins with the Secret Service, including a 2025 arrest for unlawful entry near the White House.