White House on alert: Secret Service shots armed suspect in confrontation
A man carrying a firearm near the White House was shot and injured by Secret Service personnel early on Sunday, the service said in statement. Crime scene cleared the area early this morning.
A tense confrontation near the White House ended in gunfire early Sunday morning as U.S. Secret Service officers shot an armed man following a standoff in downtown Washington, D.C. The suspect, believed to have traveled from Indiana, had been flagged by local police as a potential suicide risk before the encounter.
According to Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi, USSS members received a report of the individual, and later saw a person matching the description near the White House and found their parked car. President Donald Trump was not at the White House at the moment of the incident.
Armed suspect confronted near White House
According to the Secret Service, officers located the man’s vehicle near 17th and F Streets NW, just one block from the White House, around midnight. Soon after, they spotted an individual nearby who matched the suspect’s description.
As agents approached, the man brandished a firearm, escalating the situation into an armed confrontation. Secret Service officers responded by opening fire. The suspect was immediately transported to a local hospital, though his current condition remains unknown.
Officials confirmed that no Secret Service personnel were injured during the incident. At the time of the shooting, President Donald Trump was at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
Investigation following shooting
Law enforcement sources revealed that the individual was previously identified as a suicide risk by Indiana authorities, prompting local police to alert federal agencies about his potential arrival in the nation’s capital.
The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division Force Investigations Team has launched an inquiry into the shooting, as is standard procedure for all law enforcement-involved shootings in Washington, D.C.
The Secret Service released an official statement confirming the incident and reaffirming its commitment to public safety. As investigations continue, officials urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity near federal buildings.