White House Lockdown Scare

A shooting near the White House on May 23, 2026, briefly turned the presidential complex into the center of another high-alert security incident, as Secret Service officers opened fire on an armed man who allegedly began shooting near a checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

According to U.S. media reports and federal officials, the suspect approached the checkpoint shortly after 6 p.m. ET, removed a weapon from his bag and fired at posted officers. Secret Service personnel returned fire, striking the man, who was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead. AP later identified the suspect as 21-year-old Nasire Best.

A bystander was also hit during the incident. Authorities have not yet determined whether that person was struck by the suspect’s initial gunfire or during the exchange that followed. No Secret Service personnel were reported injured.

The episode quickly spread through the White House press area, where members of the press corps were moved into the briefing room as security teams cleared the North Lawn. Journalists at the scene described hearing “20 to 30 shots,” a detail that helped convey the scale and confusion of the moment as cameras, live reporting and security protocol collided in real time.

President Donald Trump was inside the White House during the shooting but was not affected, officials said. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the bureau assisted the Secret Service at the scene.

ABC News correspondent Selina Wang was among the journalists caught near the incident while filming on the White House grounds. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi helped shape the official account through the agency’s early statements.

The shooting adds to a tense month around presidential security. AP and Reuters noted that it followed other recent gunfire-related incidents near President Trump, including the April security scare around the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner and a separate May incident near the Washington Monument. For Washington’s political and media class, the latest confrontation underscored how quickly the highly choreographed environment around the presidency can shift from routine coverage to emergency lockdown.