After a very busy day in Washington and at the White House, given the Saturday flurry of diplomatic activity over the announcement of a tentative Iran peace deal, but which is still awaiting word and some details from Tehran, a deadly shooting erupted just outside the White House, resulting in a massive security and response and presence.
President Trump was at the White House when at around 6pm ET the Secret Service responded in a hail of gunfire as 21-year-old Maryland man Nasire Best opened fire at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
The president is safe, and the emergency has been declared over.
Somewhere between approximately 15 to 30 gunshots were fired, according to CBS News, which spoke to local law enforcement. President Trump was at the White House during the incident, “but was not impacted,” the Secret Service spokesperson later announced.
A bystander was wounded, and the suspect was hit by by Secret Service officers upon returning fire. The gunman was wounded and taken to the hospital, where he later died.
I was in the middle of taping on my iPhone for a social video from the White House North Lawn when we heard the shots. It sounded like dozens of gunshots. We were told to sprint to the press briefing room where we are holding now. pic.twitter.com/iqdQwh4soq
— Selina Wang (@selinawangtv) May 23, 2026
CBS reports upon the suspect’s name being identified that “According to the source, Best had a previous run-in with Secret Service in July 2025 in which he tried to gain entry to the White House and was arrested and sent to a psychiatric ward for mental health issues.”
A complete White House lockdown as since been lifted. According to more emerging details:
The Secret Service confirmed a couple of hours after the shooting that the man had died after exchanging fire with its agents.
The man had approached a White House security checkpoint and pulled a gun from his bag before opening fire, according to the Secret Service. Law enforcement shot back and wounded the man, who was taken to the hospital where he died.
Fox reporting that an innocent bystander was hit when a gunman and Secret Service exchanged gunfire near the White House. Condition unknown. pic.twitter.com/mFKad4aZWg
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 23, 2026
As for the wounded bystander, the victim’s information has not been released, and his condition not immediately known – after being rushed to the hospital.
New footage of the shooting near the White House pic.twitter.com/aTDtFD2onU
— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) May 23, 2026
Per CBS, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson both praised the rapid response of the Secret Service as the shooting unfolded
In a post on X, Thune declared he is “grateful for the Secret Service and the agents’ decisive actions to protect President Trump and everyone at and around the White House this evening.”