A Maryland man was shot and killed by U.S. Secret Service agents Saturday evening after allegedly opening fire near a White House security checkpoint, triggering a lockdown and a massive federal law enforcement response in the nation’s capital.
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Multiple sources identified the suspect as Nasire Best, 21, of Maryland.
According to the United States Secret Service, the shooting unfolded around 6 p.m. near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW when the suspect allegedly removed a handgun from a bag and began firing toward officers stationed near the White House perimeter.
A senior administration official said Best fired approximately three shots before Secret Service agents returned fire and killed him. Authorities said the suspect never breached the White House grounds.
An adult bystander was struck during the exchange of gunfire, though the person’s condition was not immediately known.
Witnesses reportedly heard as many as 30 shots near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building as federal agents rushed to secure the area.
The White House was temporarily placed on lockdown before authorities later lifted the restrictions.
Officials said Best had previous encounters with the Secret Service and a documented history of mental health issues. Fox News reported that he had been detained by agents in June 2025 after allegedly making threats and again in July 2025 for entering a restricted area.
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All Secret Service personnel were reported safe, although one uniformed officer was transported to a hospital as a precaution.
President Donald Trump praised the response by federal law enforcement in a Truth Social statement early Sunday.
“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,” the president added.
Trump was inside the White House at the time of the shooting but was not harmed, according to officials.
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