- Suspect shot dead by officers after firing at White House checkpoint.
- President Trump was inside but unharmed; bystander struck by gunfire.
- Secret Service, FBI responded; area near White House was secured.
- Journalist captured gunfire sounds on video while reporting outside.
- Area has seen prior violence, including an ambush last November.
A man who allegedly opened fire at a security checkpoint near the White House on Saturday evening was shot dead by officers after an exchange of gunfire, according to US federal authorities.
The US Secret Service said in a statement that the incident occurred shortly after 6 pm ET when the suspect approached a checkpoint and “removed a weapon from his bag and began firing at posted officers.”
Officers immediately returned fire, striking the suspect. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died, the agency said.
Trump Inside White House During Shooting
President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time of the incident, although officials said he was not harmed, Associated Press reported.
The Secret Service stated that none of its personnel sustained injuries and confirmed that the president was not “impacted” by the shooting.
Authorities also said a bystander was hit during the exchange of fire. However, a law enforcement official noted that investigators were still determining whether the person was struck by bullets fired by the suspect or by return fire from officers, the report said.
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Secret Service, FBI Respond
In a post on X, the Secret Service said it was “aware of reports of shots fired near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW,” an area located roughly one block from the White House, and added that officials were “working to corroborate the information with personnel on the ground.”
FBI Director Kash Patel also acknowledged the incident on social media, stating that officers were responding to reports of gunfire and that authorities would “update the public as we’re able.”
The Metropolitan Police Department advised people to avoid the area while the Secret Service managed the scene.
Journalist Captures Gunfire On Video
Amid the chaos, ABC News senior White House correspondent Selina Wang shared video footage on X showing the moment she said she heard what “sounded like dozens of gunshots.”
Wang said she had been recording a routine social media video outside the White House while discussing Trump’s comments earlier Saturday regarding a potential Iran deal.
The footage shows her abruptly reacting to the sound of gunfire before ducking for cover inside the media tent positioned along the White House driveway, where television broadcasters regularly film reports.
I was in the middle of taping on my iPhone for a social video from the White House North Lawn when we heard the shots. It sounded like dozens of gunshots. We were told to sprint to the press briefing room where we are holding now. pic.twitter.com/iqdQwh4soq
— Selina Wang (@selinawangtv) May 23, 2026
The clip quickly spread across social media and had garnered millions of views by Saturday evening.
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Area Previously Rocked By Violence
The shooting took place near the site of another violent incident last November, when two members of the West Virginia National Guard were ambushed nearby.
US Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries in that attack, while Andrew Wolfe was critically wounded. Authorities later charged Rahmanullah Lakanwal in connection with the case.
Saturday’s incident also comes less than a month after what investigators described as an attempted assassination plot targeting President Trump during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington.
According to authorities, Cole Tomas Allen, a resident of Torrance, California, pleaded not guilty to charges alleging he attempted to kill the president and remains in federal custody.
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Recent Security Incidents Raise Concerns
Following the earlier assassination scare, Secret Service officers were involved in another shooting near the Washington Monument on May 4 after a suspect allegedly fired at law enforcement personnel.
Authorities identified the accused in that case as Michael Marx, 45, of Midland, Texas. A teenage bystander was wounded during that incident, according to court documents filed in US District Court.
