Dramatic scenes near White House as gunshots trigger massive Secret Service response

As officers gunned down Best, the White House was placed into lockdown, which was eventually lifted after 6.46 pm. According to the Secret Service, President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time of the shooting but was not impacted. However, at least one bystander was also hit and severely wounded in the exchange of fire. Their condition was not immediately available.

FBI director Kash Patel noted on X that the FBI, in assistance with Secret Service, has launched an investigation into the shooting. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, along with the Metropolitan Police Department, is also supporting the ongoing response.

U.S. Secret Service officers carefully examined and photographed evidence scattered across the crime scene near the White House as investigators worked to piece together the events surrounding the shooting.

More than four hours after the shooting, the area remains under heavy lockdown with a massive police presence still in place. Streets surrounding the president’s official residence have been sealed off behind large security cordons, while dozens of police vehicles line the roads and journalists crowd the perimeter awaiting updates from authorities. Two armed officers at the scene said the surrounding streets are expected to remain closed through the night as investigators continue processing evidence and piecing together the events that unfolded near the White House.

President Donald Trump praised law enforcement officials and Secret Service agents for their swift response in fatally shooting the suspect. He also seized the opportunity to underscore the importance of building what he called the safest and most secure presidential space ever constructed in Washington, DC, adding that the country’s national security depended on it.