A man opened fire near a White House security checkpoint on Saturday but was fatally shot by Secret Service officers, according to the agency. President Donald Trump, who was safely inside the White House at the time of the incident, reacted in an early morning social media post Sunday. “Thank you to our great Secret Service and Law Enforcement for the swift and professional action taken this evening against a gunman near the White House, who had a violent history and possible obsession with our Country’s most cherished structure,” Trump wrote. The Associated Press reports that the suspect was 21-year-old Nasire Best. DC court records show Best was arrested last year after attempting to enter a different White House checkpoint without permission and “claimed he was Jesus Christ.” The Secret Service did not immediately name the suspect in a press release, but said an individual opened fire at officers Saturday night just after 6 pm in the area of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Officers returned fire, and the suspect later died at the hospital. Secret Service agents were not injured, though a bystander was hurt. “It remains unclear whether the bystander was struck by the suspect’s initial gunfire or during the subsequent exchange of gunfire,” the agency said on Saturday evening. This marks the third time in the past month that shots were fired near the president. During the White House Correspondents’ Dinner last month, a gunman attempted to run through a security checkpoint and has since been charged with attempting to assassinate Trump.”This event is one month removed from the White House Correspondent’s Dinner shooting, and goes to show how important it is, for all future Presidents, to get, what will be, the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C.,” Trump wrote, alluding to his controversial efforts to build a ballroom on White House grounds.Earlier this month, Secret Service shot a suspect near the Washington Monument who had allegedly fired at officers. In a separate incident last fall, another gunman ambushed National Guard members near the White House, killing one of them.
A man opened fire near a White House security checkpoint on Saturday but was fatally shot by Secret Service officers, according to the agency.
President Donald Trump, who was safely inside the White House at the time of the incident, reacted in an early morning social media post Sunday.
“Thank you to our great Secret Service and Law Enforcement for the swift and professional action taken this evening against a gunman near the White House, who had a violent history and possible obsession with our Country’s most cherished structure,” Trump wrote.
The Associated Press reports that the suspect was 21-year-old Nasire Best. DC court records show Best was arrested last year after attempting to enter a different White House checkpoint without permission and “claimed he was Jesus Christ.”
The Secret Service did not immediately name the suspect in a press release, but said an individual opened fire at officers Saturday night just after 6 pm in the area of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Officers returned fire, and the suspect later died at the hospital.
Secret Service agents were not injured, though a bystander was hurt.
“It remains unclear whether the bystander was struck by the suspect’s initial gunfire or during the subsequent exchange of gunfire,” the agency said on Saturday evening.
This marks the third time in the past month that shots were fired near the president.
During the White House Correspondents’ Dinner last month, a gunman attempted to run through a security checkpoint and has since been charged with attempting to assassinate Trump.
“This event is one month removed from the White House Correspondent’s Dinner shooting, and goes to show how important it is, for all future Presidents, to get, what will be, the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C.,” Trump wrote, alluding to his controversial efforts to build a ballroom on White House grounds.
Earlier this month, Secret Service shot a suspect near the Washington Monument who had allegedly fired at officers.
In a separate incident last fall, another gunman ambushed National Guard members near the White House, killing one of them.
