The Secret Service confirmed Sunday that its officers fatally shot an armed man who opened fire near the White House on Saturday evening, in the latest violent incident to test security around the executive mansion.
Anthony Guglielmi, the agency's chief of communications, said the suspect, identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best, pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW shortly after 6 p.m. EDT. Secret Service police returned fire, striking Best, who later died at a hospital. A bystander was also wounded in the exchange; no officers were injured.
Suspect Known to Authorities
Best was already on the Secret Service's radar. Law enforcement officials told Reuters he was emotionally disturbed and had been issued a formal stay-away order from the White House area. He had been observed near the complex before Saturday's confrontation.
President Donald Trump, who was inside the White House at the time and unharmed, posted on Truth Social Sunday that Best had a violent history and what he described as a possible obsession with the nation's most cherished structure, referring to the White House.
FBI Involvement and Broader Security Concerns
FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on social media Saturday that bureau personnel were on the scene and supporting the Secret Service response. The FBI vowed to update the public as more details emerge.
The shooting is the third armed confrontation involving law enforcement near the White House in recent weeks. Earlier this month, a man exchanged fire with Secret Service officers near the Washington Monument on the National Mall. In that incident, both the suspect and a bystander were shot. The office of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro charged 45-year-old Michael Marx with assaulting federal officers, using a firearm during a violent crime, and illegal possession of a weapon. That confrontation occurred along the path of Vice President Vance's motorcade as he was leaving the White House.
Just over a week before that, a man opened fire at a hotel hosting the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, where Trump was present. A federal grand jury indicted 31-year-old Cole Allen on charges of attempting to assassinate the president and multiple firearms violations.
Trump Renews Push for White House Ballroom
In the wake of the latest shooting, Trump doubled down on his push for a new ballroom at the White House, which is already under construction. He argued that the incident, coming a month after the correspondents' dinner shooting, demonstrates the need for what he called the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C., adding that national security demands it.
Security analysts note that the series of incidents underscores the persistent threats facing the White House and its occupants. The Secret Service has not announced any immediate changes to security protocols, but the agency is expected to review the events.
