A 21-year-old man is dead and a bystander remains critically injured after a shooting involving the Secret Service near the White House on Saturday evening.
Authorities identified the gunman as Nasire Best, who investigators say opened fire near a White House security checkpoint shortly after 6 p.m. in the area of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest.
Gunfire erupted near White House checkpoint
According to investigators, Best allegedly pulled a firearm from a bag and began shooting toward the White House complex.
CNN, CBS News, and The New York Times reported that Best fired multiple shots before Secret Service officers immediately returned fire during the exchange.
Best was struck and transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Officials also confirmed that a bystander was hit during the shooting and remains in critical condition. Authorities have not yet determined whose gunfire struck the victim.
CBS News reported that an estimated 10 to 20 shots were fired near a security booth outside the White House during the incident.
Donald Trump was inside White House
The Secret Service said President Donald Trump was inside the White House during the incident, though no protectees or staff members were harmed.
“No injuries were sustained by officers. The President was in the White House during the incident; however, no protectees or operations were impacted,” the agency said in a statement.
A Secret Service spokesperson also confirmed to CBS News that Trump “was not impacted” by the shooting.
Journalists working from the White House North Lawn reported hearing dozens of gunshots before being rushed into lockdown inside the press briefing room. The White House remained on lockdown until shortly after 6:45 p.m. local time.
ABC News senior White House correspondent Selina Wang shared video footage from the scene on X, showing reporters diving to the ground as gunfire erupted nearby.
“It sounded like dozens of gunshots,” Wang wrote. “We were told to sprint to the press briefing room where we are holding now.”
Trump renews push for White House ballroom after shooting
Following the shooting, Trump once again argued that the White House urgently needs his proposed ballroom expansion, claiming national security concerns justify the project.
In a Truth Social post reacting to the incident, Trump praised Secret Service agents before linking the shooting to his long-discussed White House ballroom proposal.
“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 wrote.
“The gunman is dead after an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service Agents near the White House gates.”
He then argued that the latest violence near the White House demonstrated why the ballroom project should move forward immediately.
“This event is one month removed from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, and goes to show how important it is, for all future Presidents, to get, what will be, the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C. The National Security of our Country demands it!” Trump added.
Ballroom project tied to security concerns
Trump has repeatedly promoted the proposed White House ballroom as both a luxury addition and a security upgrade.
The project, which reportedly began after the East Wing was demolished in October 2025, is expected to cost roughly $400 million and span approximately 90,000 square feet.
Earlier this month, Trump described the ballroom as “the most beautiful ballroom anywhere in the world” while emphasizing its security features during remarks at a Rose Garden Club dinner.
“You’ll never see anything like it. And it’ll also be very safe. It’s going to be a very safe ballroom,” Trump said, adding that the structure’s glass would be “like six inches thick.”
“You look through it, and you can see as perfectly as though it weren’t there,” he continued. “Now how’d they do that? I don’t know, but it’s at the highest level of safety.”
Trump has repeatedly connected the ballroom proposal to recent security incidents, including the shooting during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April.
Previous encounters with Secret Service
Court records show this was not Best’s first interaction with Secret Service personnel near the White House.
In July 2025, he was reportedly arrested after entering a restricted area near the White House, where investigators said he claimed to be Jesus Christ and wanted to be arrested.
Following that incident, a pretrial stay-away order was issued barring him from returning to the area.
A bench warrant was later issued after Best reportedly failed to appear at a scheduled hearing in August, though reports stated he had no active warrants at the time of Saturday’s shooting.
Records later cited by CNN and The New York Times also stated that Best had previously been known to the Secret Service for repeatedly approaching White House entry points and asking how to gain access.
Reports of mental health concerns
According to records referenced in reports, Best was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital in June 2025 after allegedly obstructing vehicle access near part of the White House complex.
Investigators are also reviewing social media posts believed to belong to him that allegedly referenced violence against President Donald Trump and included religious delusions.
Authorities have not officially announced a motive for Saturday’s shooting.
Third major security scare in weeks
Saturday’s incident marks the third shooting-related security scare near the president within the last month.
Previous incidents reportedly occurred during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in April and near the Washington Monument earlier this month.
Federal investigators continue examining the latest shooting while reviewing surveillance footage, witness accounts, and forensic evidence from the scene.
The FBI and Secret Service have directed additional media inquiries to the Metropolitan Police Department as the investigation continues.
