Gunman shot dead near WH security checkpoint

AP WASHINGTON 

A gunman died after opening fire on Saturday near a White House security checkpoint before being shot by Secret Service officers. The suspect, 21-year-old Nasire Best (inset), pulled a weapon from his bag near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue shortly after 6pm EDT and began firing. Officers returned fire, hitting the suspect, who later died at a hospital. President Donald Trump was present inside the White House but was not impacted by the incident. 

Trump had altered his plans on Friday to stay in Washington instead of visiting his New Jersey golf resort. A bystander was struck during the chaos, though investigators remain unsure if the injury was caused by the suspect or responding officers.  

This security breach marks the third gunfire incident near Trump in the past month. It follows an attempted assassination on April 25 at a Washington hotel, where suspect Cole Tomas Allen allegedly fired a shotgun at an officer.

Additionally, on May 4, officers shot Michael Marx after he opened fire near the Washington Monument. Court records reveal that Best was previously arrested in July 2025 after trying to breach a different White House checkpoint. During that encounter, he ignored commands, claimed to be Jesus Christ, and demanded to be detained. A bench warrant had been issued against him in August for noncompliance.  

Journalists working within the complex reported hearing dozens of gunshots and were forced to seek shelter inside the press briefing room. 

ABC News correspondent Selina Wang captured the terrifying moment on video while filming a routine social media update. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that federal personnel are processing the active crime scene.

Trump posted on Truth Social early on Sunday about the incident, thanking Secret Service for their “for the swift and professional action”. He alleged the suspect “had a violent history and po­ssible obsession with our country’s most cherished structure.”