Washington: The White House was briefly placed on lockdown after US Secret Service officers shot an armed individual near the National Mall following a confrontation in which the suspect opened fire, officials said.
The incident unfolded around 3:30 p.m. when plainclothes Secret Service personnel patrolling the outer perimeter of the White House complex identified “a suspicious individual that appeared to have a firearm,” Deputy Director Matt Quinn told reporters.
Uniformed officers were called in to engage the individual. “Upon making contact, that individual fled briefly on foot, withdrew a firearm and fired… in the direction of our agents and officers,” Quinn said. “They returned fire and engaged. That individual was hit.”
The suspect was taken to a hospital, though officials said they had “no comments on his condition.”
At least one bystander, described as a juvenile, was also struck during the exchange. Quinn said the child “did not sustain any life threatening injuries” and was receiving treatment.
Officials indicated the bystander was likely hit by the suspect’s gunfire. “Everything I’ve seen makes me to believe… that he was struck by the suspect,” Quinn said.
The shooting occurred near 15th Street and Independence Avenue, a few blocks from the White House. Secret Service agents said the suspect had been under observation for a short period after officers detected what Quinn described as a “visual print of a firearm.”
Following the gunfire, the Secret Service ordered reporters on the White House North Lawn to move indoors. The lockdown was lifted within minutes, and President Donald Trump proceeded with a previously scheduled small business event inside the East Room.
Trump did not directly address the shooting but used his remarks to highlight safety in the capital. “Washington, DC… is now one of the safest cities in the United States,” he said.
Authorities said there was no immediate indication the suspect was targeting the president or the White House. “Whether or not it was directed to the president or not, I don’t know, but we will find out,” Quinn said.
Vice President JD Vance’s motorcade had passed through the area shortly before the shooting, but officials said there was no sign the suspect intended to attack it. “No, not to my knowledge,” Quinn said when asked if the motorcade had been targeted.
The Secret Service confirmed that a weapon was recovered at the scene and said the Metropolitan Police Department would lead the investigation into the use of force.
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns in Washington following a separate shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April, where a suspect armed with guns and knives breached security and injured a Secret Service agent.
(IANS)
