A man approached the security checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW shortly after 6 p.m. on Saturday, pulled a gun from a bag, and fired on Secret Service officers. Agents returned fire, killing the suspect. A bystander was wounded in the crossfire. President Trump was inside the White House at the time. The lockdown has since been lifted.
What happened
A male individual approached the U.S. Secret Service security checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW — one block from the White House — shortly after 6 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday, May 23. He pulled a firearm from a bag and opened fire on Secret Service officers at the checkpoint. Officers returned fire, wounding the suspect, who was transported to George Washington University Hospital and later confirmed dead. A bystander was also struck in the crossfire and transported to a local hospital in serious condition.
Journalists in the White House press pool who were on the North Lawn at the time of the shooting reported hearing a rapid series of gunshots. They were immediately escorted inside and told to shelter in the press briefing room. Members of the media shared videos on social media showing Secret Service agents responding on the White House lawn as the lockdown was initiated. The lockdown was subsequently lifted and press were allowed to return to the North Lawn.
Key facts confirmed by law enforcement
Time Approximately 6:04 PM ET, Saturday May 23, 2026
Location 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW — one block from the White House
Shots fired Between 15 and 30 gunshots reported by multiple law enforcement sources
Suspect Male — pulled firearm from bag at Secret Service checkpoint and opened fire on officers. Shot by Secret Service. Confirmed dead.
Bystander One civilian struck in crossfire — transported to hospital in serious condition
Secret Service officers Several evaluated at scene — none hospitalized, none struck by gunfire
Perimeter breach None — suspect did not breach White House perimeter
Trump’s location Inside the White House at the time of the shooting
White House lockdownInitiated immediately — subsequently lifted. Press returned to North Lawn.
Agencies respondingU.S. Secret Service, FBI, Metropolitan Police Department, DC Fire and EMS
Official statements
“The Secret Service is aware of reports of shots fired near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW and is working to corroborate the information with personnel on the ground.”
— U.S. Secret Service statement posted on X, May 23, 2026
“FBI is on the scene to support the Secret Service. We will update the public as we’re able.”
— FBI Director Kash Patel, post on X, May 23, 2026
Road closures in effect
DC Fire and EMS announced that Pennsylvania Avenue between 17th and 19th Streets NW was closed due to police activity. The Metropolitan Police Department urged the public to avoid the area. The closures were implemented as a precautionary measure while law enforcement secured the scene and investigated the incident.
Context: a pattern of security incidents near the White House in 2026
Saturday’s shooting is the second significant security incident near the White House in less than a month. On April 25, gunshots were fired near the main security screening area for the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at a Washington hotel. Cole Tomas Allen, of Torrance, California, was arrested and charged with attempting to kill President Trump and other administration officials — he has since pleaded not guilty and remains in federal custody.
The incident also follows a shooting in November 2025 in which a gunman ambushed two members of the West Virginia National Guard near the same general area. U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her wounds in that attack. Saturday’s shooting occurred near the same stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue. The frequency and geographic clustering of these incidents in proximity to the White House has intensified scrutiny of perimeter security protocols and the protective posture of the Secret Service in the broader Pennsylvania Avenue corridor.
