Police and members of the Secret Service block streets around the White House, Saturday, May 23, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Alex Brandon/AP
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Alex Brandon/AP
WASHINGTON — A person who began shooting at officers after approaching a White House security checkpoint has died, according to federal officials.
The U.S. Secret Service reported that their preliminary investigation revealed the individual approached a checkpoint shortly after 6 p.m. ET, drew a weapon from his bag, and opened fire on the officers present.
Officers returned fire, hitting the suspect, who was then transported to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries, according to the Secret Service.
An official stated that a bystander was also hit, though it remains unclear if the injury was caused by the suspect’s bullets or the officers’ return fire.
The Secret Service confirmed that no officers were harmed during the incident and that President Donald Trump, who was at the White House, was not affected.
This is a breaking news update. AP’s earlier story follows below.
The U.S. Secret Service shot a person near the White House on Saturday, and a bystander was also injured, a law enforcement official said.
Both the suspect and the bystander were reported to be in critical condition, according to an official who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.
Journalists at the White House on Saturday reported hearing multiple gunshots and were directed to take shelter inside the press briefing room.
The Secret Service posted on X, acknowledging reports of gunfire near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, one block from the White House, and said they were working to confirm the information with on-ground personnel. An update was promised shortly.
In a social media post, FBI Director Kash Patel stated that officers were responding to the shooting and pledged to update the public as information became available.
President Donald Trump was inside the White House during the incident.
Visible evidence of the shooting was found on a sidewalk just outside the White House complex, with yellow crime scene tape and numerous orange evidence markers placed by U.S. Secret Service officers. Medical supplies, including what appeared to be purple surgical gloves and emergency kits, were also observed at the scene.
ABC News senior White House correspondent Selina Wang shared a dramatic video on X, capturing the moment she heard what “sounded like dozens of gunshots” and sought cover. She was performing a routine task of filming herself for a social media post about Trump’s statements on a potential Iran deal when the gunfire erupted. Her video, showing her reaction as shots rang out, was shared thousands of times and viewed over 3 million times by Saturday evening.
The Metropolitan Police Department tweeted that the Secret Service was handling the situation and advised the public to avoid the area. The shooting occurred near the site where a gunman previously ambushed two West Virginia National Guard members last November.
U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries, while Andrew Wolfe, then 24, was critically wounded. Rahmanullah Lakanwal was charged in connection with that incident.
Saturday’s shooting follows nearly a month after an alleged assassination attempt on President Trump on April 25 during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at a Washington hotel. Cole Tomas Allen from Torrance, Calif., has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to kill Trump and remains in federal custody.
In a related incident, Secret Service officers shot a suspect who reportedly fired at them near the Washington Monument, also close to the White House. Michael Marx, 45, from Midland, Texas, was charged in connection with the May 4 shooting. A teenage bystander was injured in that incident.
