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White House shooting update: Suspect details emerge as Secret Service respond to threat
A shooting near the White House prompted massive law enforcement response, even while President Donald Trump was present inside, working on the Iran deal.
A shooting near the White House in Washington DC on Saturday prompted a massive response from law enforcement. It came at a time when President Donald Trump was inside, having earlier announced he was working on the Iran deal. Now, the first details about the suspect have come to the forefront.
Here's all you need to know about the suspect in the shooting near the White House.
White House shooting: First details on suspect
As per Fox News, the shooter is a male and the incident took place on the west side of the White House. According to the news channel, someone came up and brandished ‘some sort of a pistol’. The gunman reportedly went up to ‘near’ gate 17 and opened fire.
The alleged gunman is believed to have gotten off three shots, and then the people guarding the perimeter responded to the gunfire. The Secret Service then ‘took him down’, as per the Fox News segment.
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A civilian is believed to have been hit in the process, as per the report. The news report also added that the alleged gunman never got inside the White House perimeter and that President Trump was safe.
The Fox News segment was shared widely online. Meanwhile, a CBS News reporter added more details about the shooting.
“Two hit by gunfire outside White House — the suspect and a possible bystander — and taken to hospital,” Jennifer Jacobs of CBS News wrote on X. She added that the suspect was in critical condition, while the second individual was in ‘serious’ condition. In a later update, it was reported that the suspect had died.
As per the reporter, Secret Service agents had been shot at and returned fire. No agents are believed to have been injured. Reuters added more details, noting the suspect was taken to George Washington Hospital.
The individual was identified as an emotionally disturbed person, as per the agency. The official speaking to Reuters noted that a ‘stay away’ order had been issued to the suspect before this incident.
The Secret Service said “Shortly after 6:00 p.m. Saturday, an individual approached a Secret Service checkpoint in the area of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. A preliminary investigation indicates that as the individual approached, he removed a weapon from his bag and began firing at posted officers.”
The statement added “Secret Service police officers returned fire, striking the suspect, who was transported to an area hospital, where he later died. During the shooting, a bystander was also struck by gunfire. It remains unclear whether the bystander was struck by the suspect’s initial gunfire or during the subsequent exchange of gunfire. No injuries were sustained by Secret Service personnel. The President was at the White House during the incident but was not impacted. The incident remains under investigation.”
Shooting near White House: What happened
At the time when the shooting was reported, the White House was placed under lockdown. Currently, massive law enforcement presence is in the area. The Secret Service are investigating the matter as per DC police.
FBI Director Kash Patel also posted that the bureau is assisting in the matter.
The shooting outside the White House comes on the heels of the incident at the White House Correspondents' dinner where a gunman had rushed the event in an alleged attempt to assassinate President Donald Trump.
