By TRH World Desk
Trump Was Inside; Bystander Also Wounded in Latest Security Incident Near 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, May 24, 2026 — A gunman was shot and killed Saturday evening after opening fire on a U.S. Secret Service checkpoint just outside the White House, in the most serious security incident to strike the grounds of the nation’s executive mansion in recent months.
The suspect, identified by a source familiar with the investigation as 21-year-old Nasire Best of Maryland, approached a checkpoint near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW — just outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building — shortly after 6 p.m. ET. According to a Secret Service spokesperson, he removed a weapon from his bag and began firing at posted officers. Agents returned fire, striking Best, who was transported to a local hospital and later pronounced dead.
A bystander was also struck by gunfire during the exchange. Their condition remains unknown, and it is unclear whether the bystander was hit by Best’s initial shots or caught in the crossfire. No Secret Service agents sustained injuries.
President Trump was inside the White House at the time of the shooting. A White House official confirmed that the president had been briefed on the incident, and a Secret Service spokesperson stated he “was not impacted.” Journalists on the White House grounds reported hearing a rapid series of gunshots and were immediately ordered into the press briefing room and directed to shelter in place.
CBS News quoted sources, saying that Best had prior encounters with the Secret Service. In July 2025, he allegedly attempted to gain entry to the White House and was subsequently arrested and referred to a psychiatric ward for mental health evaluation. He had been living in the Washington, D.C., area for approximately the past 18 months.
A Target With a Long History of Threats
Saturday’s shooting is the latest in a long line of violent incidents and security breaches at one of the world’s most recognizable and heavily guarded addresses.
The White House has drawn disturbed and dangerous individuals for decades. In October 1994, Francisco Martin Duran opened fire on the executive mansion in an apparent attempt to kill President Clinton, firing multiple rounds at the West Wing before Secret Service officers tackled and disarmed him. That same year, Frank Eugene Corder crashed a stolen Cessna plane into the South Lawn of the White House, killing only himself.
In November 2011, Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez fired an assault rifle at the residential wing of the building at least seven times, striking it several times and damaging its façade. In 2014, Omar Gonzalez famously scaled the White House fence and managed to reach the East Room before being apprehended — one of more than 100 security breach attempts documented by the Secret Service between 2005 and 2015 alone.
More recently, in March 2025, Secret Service agents shot an armed man near the White House while President Trump was out of town. On May 4, 2025, agents shot a suspect who fired at officers near the Washington Monument. And in April 2026, law enforcement said Cole Tomas Allen attempted to assassinate the president during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner — charges Allen has since pleaded not guilty to.
Saturday’s attack occurred just days after part of the Pennsylvania Avenue pedestrian plaza, which had been closed following previous incidents, was partially reopened to the public.
The shooting is under investigation. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson have been briefed, according to officials.
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