New details are emerging after the shocking shooting incident outside the White House that triggered a lockdown and sent reporters scrambling for safety.
Authorities have identified the suspect as 21-year-old Nasire Best, the man accused of opening fire near the White House complex on May 23 before being fatally shot by Secret Service agents.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, the incident unfolded near the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street Northwest, just outside the White House grounds.
Officials say Best allegedly removed a firearm from a bag and began firing toward a security checkpoint. Secret Service agents immediately responded, shooting the suspect during the confrontation.
Best was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died from his injuries. A bystander was also injured in the shooting and remains hospitalized. Authorities confirmed that no law enforcement officers were hurt.
President Donald Trump was reportedly inside the White House at the time of the incident but was not harmed.
Following the shooting, Trump praised Secret Service agents and law enforcement for their rapid response in a statement posted online.
As investigators dug deeper into the suspect’s background, reports revealed that Best had prior encounters with the Secret Service and had previously been restricted from the White House area.
Court documents cited by CNN and The New York Times state that Best was arrested in July 2025 after entering a restricted section of the White House grounds while allegedly claiming he was “Jesus Christ.”
Authorities also reportedly observed him repeatedly attempting to learn how to gain access to the White House through various checkpoints.
Following that incident, Best was barred from the area. Reports also indicate he later missed a scheduled court appearance connected to the earlier arrest.
In another troubling incident, Best was reportedly taken for psychiatric evaluation in June 2025 after allegedly blocking a vehicle entrance near the White House complex.
During Saturday’s shooting, witnesses described hearing what sounded like “dozens of gunshots” as panic spread across the area.
ABC News correspondent Selina Wang shared video footage from the White House North Lawn showing the chaotic moments as journalists were instructed to run to the press briefing room for safety.
Authorities estimate that between 10 and 20 shots were fired during the confrontation before the suspect was stopped.
The incident has once again intensified conversations surrounding White House security, mental health concerns, and how individuals with previous alarming encounters are monitored near high-security federal locations.
