Two people have been shot in an encounter with the Secret Service near the White House, a law enforcement official said, per CNN. The incident took place on Saturday, May 23, near the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street Northwest.
According to the law enforcement official, officers from the Secret Service’s uniformed division responded to a report of an individual firing a weapon. CNN reporters heard what sounded like dozens of gunshots near the White House. This prompted a lockdown and a rapid response from the Secret Service.
President Donald Trump has survived multiple assassination attempts in the past. As the current shooting sparks concerns, here’s a look at how many assassination attempts have been made on Trump.
How many assassination attempts have been made on Trump?
Trump survived the first assassination attempt when he was shot at a rally in Pennsylvania in 2024. Video from the July 14, 2024 Butler rally showed Trump ducking for cover and then being surrounded by secret service agents after shots rang out. As Trump exited the stage, streaks of blood were seen on the side of his head. He was soon escorted into a vehicle. According to law enforcement, the sniper took position hundreds of yards away from Trump in a building located outside of the security cordon.
The shooter was later identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks. He opened fire at the rally, wounding Trump and killing former volunteer fire chief, Corey Comperatore. He also injured two other people before being killed by Secret Service snipers.
{{/usCountry}}The shooter was later identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks. He opened fire at the rally, wounding Trump and killing former volunteer fire chief, Corey Comperatore. He also injured two other people before being killed by Secret Service snipers.
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Trump survived the second assassination attempt on September 15, 2024, at his West Palm Springs resort in Florida. The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, was allegedly on a Trump-owned golf course with an AK-47, a GoPro camera and other items before, according to authorities, what could have been an assassination attempt on the former president. The Secret Service noticed him and fired at him, but did not hit him. Routh fled the scene in a car, and was later arrested in a traffic stop on I-95.
Other security incidents
There have been other security incidents involving Trump, but not direct assassination attempts. In September 2025, Melvin Eng, an officer with the New York Police Department (NYPD), turned up at the Ryder Cup golf tournament at Bethpage Black Course in New York, armed and in full tactical gear. He reportedly pretended to be part of Trump’s security detail.
Authorities later found out that Eng was on sick leave, had no official assignment to be part of Trump’s detail and no assigned role at the event. This led to Eng being suspended, pending further investigation by the NYPD.
In February 2026, a man carrying a gas can and shotgun was shot dead by the Secret Service after he crashed his vehicle into the security perimeter of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Trump was in Washington at the time. The man was identified as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin from North Carolina. His motive remains unclear.
On April 25, 2026, gunshots were fired near the main security screening area for the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. Trump and other government officials were evacuated from the Washington Hilton after gunshots broke out. The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, faces charges of two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence and one count of assault on an officer using a dangerous weapon after breaching security at the Washington Hilton.
What we know about the current alleged shooting outside the White House
According to the Secret Service, the agency was investigating reports of shots fired at the corner of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, which is just outside the White House complex. Members of the press corps on the North Lawn were rushed into the White House briefing room, where they were told to shelter in place. Secret Service agents shouted “get down” and warned of “shots fired,” per CNN.
The outlet reported that Secret Service agents carrying rifles could be seen moving through the North Lawn and blocking the White House press briefing room after the incident. However, the lockdown was lifted just after 6:45 pm ET.
Trump was at the White House residence. FBI Director Kash Patel said on X, “FBI is on the scene and supporting Secret Service responding to shots fired near White House grounds - we will update the public as we’re able”.