Secret Service Director Sean Curran on Sunday offered his sympathies for a bystander who was shot during an exchange of gunfire between officers and an armed suspect near the White House the previous evening.
In a statement posted to X, Curran praised the “quick and decisive response” of Secret Service police officers who confronted the gunman. “Their training, vigilance, positioning and immediate actions were instrumental in saving lives,” he wrote, adding that the officers acted “heroically in a heightened political threat environment.”
Curran confirmed no officers were injured and said the agency is “hopeful [the bystander] will make a full recovery.” The director also thanked federal and local partners for their support.
The incident unfolded just after 6 p.m. Saturday near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, just blocks from the White House. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said the suspect “pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing.” Officers returned fire, striking the man, who was later pronounced dead at a hospital. A civilian bystander was also struck by gunfire during the exchange.
The gunman has been identified as Nasire Best, 21. According to authorities, Best was known to the Secret Service and had been seen near the White House on prior occasions. The suspect had received prior warnings from law enforcement, though details of those interactions remain unclear.
President Trump weighed in Sunday on Truth Social, describing Best as “an individual with a violent history and possible obsession with our Country’s most cherished structure.” Trump also thanked the Secret Service for their swift action, noting the agency’s role in preventing further casualties. He praised the officers from the White House ballroom shortly after the shooting.
The shooting comes amid what Curran described as a “heightened political threat environment,” with security around the White House already tight. The Secret Service has faced increased scrutiny over its protective operations, especially after previous incidents near the executive mansion. Reporters were rushed to a bunker during the exchange, underscoring the seriousness of the threat.
Authorities have not released the condition of the wounded bystander, nor have they provided a motive for the attack. The investigation is ongoing, with the Secret Service and local law enforcement collaborating on the case.
This incident adds to a series of security breaches near the White House in recent years, raising questions about perimeter safety and the effectiveness of advance warnings. For now, the agency is focusing on the recovery of the injured civilian and the debriefing of officers involved in the shooting.
