Who is Andrew Dawson? Armed man shot by Secret Service just outside White House identified

Secret Service agents critically injured 27-year-old Andrew Dawson in Washington, D.C., near the White House after an armed confrontation.

The United States Secret Service critically injured a man in Washington, D.C., near the White House on Sunday morning following an “armed confrontation.”

Andrew Dawson was armed with a knife and firearm and had prior interactions with local law enforcement before the incident. (AFP) (AFP)

The individual, later identified as, Andrew Dawson, a 27-year-old Indiana resident, had already been on the radar of local law enforcement before the shootout.

Dawson was carrying both a knife and a firearm when he was confronted by Secret Service agents just after midnight, just one block away from the West Wing, per New York Post.

Who is Andrew Dawson?

Dawson, a resident of North Manchester, Indiana—located approximately 100 miles north of Indianapolis—was described as being “suicidal” before travelling to the Washington, D.C., area, based on intelligence provided by Indiana authorities. Cops suspect that his intention was to commit “suicide by cop.”

The shooting took place near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building after agents, responding to an alert, confronted him. “As officers approached, the individual brandished a firearm, and an armed confrontation ensued, during which shots were fired by our personnel,” Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said.

“As officers approached, the individual brandished a firearm, and an armed confrontation ensued, during which shots were fired by our personnel.”

Dawson was transported to a hospital in Washington, D.C. Guglielmi later also confirmed, “There were no reported injuries to Secret Service personnel.”

Indiana court records, Dawson had a prior arrest in 2018 for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia but had no other criminal history.

Notably, the Secret Service confirmed that President Donald Trump was at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and was not present at the White House, per Reuters.

For now, “The incident is under investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department Internal Affairs Division’s Force Investigations Team,” the Secret Service said.