WASHINGTON – A gunman opened fire just blocks from the White House Saturday evening, sparking a volley of return shots from U.S. Secret Service officers that left the suspect dead and an uninvolved civilian wounded, officials said.
The exchange unfolded shortly after 6:00 p.m. near the intersection of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, a heavily secured corridor adjacent to the White House complex. According to a Secret Service statement, the suspect pulled a firearm from a bag and began firing. Officers engaged immediately, striking the individual, who was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
A bystander was also hit during the gunfire. Authorities have not released the civilian’s name, age, gender, or medical condition, and it remains unclear whether the injuries came from the attacker’s shots or Secret Service rounds. No agency personnel were hurt.
The suspect never breached the White House perimeter or approached the executive mansion’s grounds. President Trump, who spent the weekend in Washington—an unusual occurrence for him—was inside the residence at the time and never faced any danger. He had been working in the Oval Office since morning, alongside aides Stephen Chong, Natalie Harp, and Margot Martin, and continued into the evening.
The White House communications director posted on X that the President remained focused on diplomatic efforts throughout the day, including phone calls with officials about the Middle East conflict and ongoing attempts to broker a peace deal.
The shooting occurred near the Executive Office Building, an area that serves as a common entry point to the White House campus. When the President is in residence, the security perimeter along that stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue is often extended.