According to The Associated Press and other outlets, Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn said plainclothes agents spotted the man around 3:30 p.m. near the White House complex and saw what appeared to be a firearm on his body.
Quinn said the agents followed the man briefly and relayed the information to uniformed officers. When uniformed officers approached, the unidentified man tried to flee and fired at agents, prompting them to return fire, Quinn said.
The suspect was taken to a nearby hospital, and his condition was not immediately known, Quinn said. A minor wounded by gunfire was also taken to a hospital and was not in life-threatening condition. It was not confirmed whether the minor was hit by the suspect’s gunfire. Quinn said, “Medical personnel will determine that,” but added that investigators believe the minor was struck by the suspect’s shots.
The Metropolitan Police Department will lead the investigation. The Secret Service urged the public to avoid the area as the response continued. Trump was holding an event related to small businesses at the White House at the time.
After the shooting, the White House was temporarily locked down, and reporters outside were moved into the briefing room. Trump did not stop the event and continued with his schedule.
The incident came after a May 25 case in which a suspect tried to force his way into the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner venue at the Washington Hilton Hotel while carrying a gun and a bladed weapon. The suspect, Cole Thomas Allen, was charged, including with using a firearm and assaulting a federal officer. In that case, one Secret Service agent avoided serious injury because the agent was wearing body armor.
Quinn declined to speculate on whether the latest shooting was aimed at Trump. “I won’t speculate,” he said, adding that it is not yet known whether the president was the target but that it would be determined later.
Vice President JD Vance’s motorcade was confirmed to have passed through the area shortly before the shooting, but there were no indications the suspect was targeting Vance.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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