WASHINGTON, May 5 — A man opened fire near the White House on Monday, wounding a teenage bystander before United States (US) Secret Service officers returned fire and shot the suspect, the agency said, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
The Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting the US president and other senior officials, said on the social media platform X that the incident “resulted from a confrontation between an armed individual and Secret Service Police.”
Both the suspect and the teenager were taken to the hospital. The condition of the gunman was not immediately disclosed, while the teenager’s injuries were not considered life-threatening.
The incident occurred south of the White House, near the Washington Monument, prompting a brief lockdown of the presidential complex, although the grounds themselves were not directly affected.
According to Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn, officers first noticed the man earlier in the afternoon after spotting what appeared to be the outline of a firearm under his clothing.
The suspect briefly fled before being confronted by uniformed officers, at which point he opened fire.
The Secret Service earlier said emergency crews were responding south of the White House and urged people to avoid the area.
Journalists at the White House reported that, during the incident, they were taken to the room where press conferences are usually held.
US President Donald Trump continued an event with small business owners during the incident.
