White House Incident Leaves One Dead

White House security was placed on high alert for several hours on Saturday evening after a shooting outside the presidential complex in Washington DC left a suspected gunman dead and a civilian injured.

The incident unfolded around 6 pm local time near a security checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, close to the White House perimeter. US media said a man pulled a firearm from his bag and opened fire toward security personnel stationed in the area.

Secret Service agents immediately returned fire. The suspect, who suffered critical gunshot injuries, was rushed to hospital where he was later declared dead.

US media identified the man as 21-year-old Nasire Best. He had previously been arrested for attempting to enter restricted security zones around the White House. Court documents cited by American outlets stated that Best had claimed to be “Jesus Christ” and had expressed a desire to be arrested.

Authorities said he had a history of mental health struggles and was known to security officials for repeatedly moving around checkpoints and questioning personnel about White House access procedures.

White House briefly locked down

Following the shooting, the White House complex was temporarily locked down. Journalists inside the compound were quickly escorted into the press briefing room by security officers, ABC News reported.

Witnesses said they heard between 20 and 30 rounds of gunfire during the confrontation.

President Donald Trump was reportedly inside the White House at the time of the incident. Officials later confirmed that neither the president nor senior administration officials were harmed.

FBI joins investigation

FBI Director Kash Patel said federal investigators had joined the scene and were assisting the Secret Service with the ongoing investigation.

US media also reported that a civilian was injured in the shooting. Authorities have not yet clarified whether the bullet that struck the person came from the suspect or from responding officers. The condition of the injured civilian has not been made public.

Security around the White House area has since been tightened further. Several nearby roads remained closed late into the night as investigators continued examining the scene.