The White House was briefly locked down Monday afternoon after a U.S. Secret Service officer exchanged gunfire with an armed individual nearby, the agency said.
The person, whose identity was unknown, was shot about 3:30 p.m. at 15th Street SW and Independence Avenue SW near the Washington Monument shortly after Vice President JD Vance passed by in a motorcade, according to Secret Service.
“Our plainclothes officers and agents that consistently patrol the outer perimeter of the White House complex identified a suspicious individual that appeared to have a firearm,” Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew C. Quinn said at a news conference.
Uniformed officers approached the individual, who tried to flee on foot before firing at the agents, Quinn said. They fired back, and the person was struck and taken to a hospital.
Gunfire from the person struck a child who was in the area, but they did not sustain life-threatening injuries, Quinn said. He said it wasn’t clear whom the person may have been targeting.
“We’re patrolling this area, and every site we do, 24/7, hardcore,” Quinn said. “Whether or not it was directed to the president or not, I don’t know, but we will find out.”
Around 3:45 p.m., Secret Service evacuated some members of the media from the White House’s north lawn to the briefing room.
Ryan Naef, 21, and his mother, Amanda Naef, 47, who were visiting from Vermont, were taking photos by the White House when they saw Vance’s motorcade pass.
Then five or six gunshots rang out, Ryan Naef said. “It was just every officer, every car in the area was flying down in that direction,” he said. “We were just really confused.”
D.C. police said it is investigating the scene of the shooting and that area roads would be closed for several hours.
Emily Davies contributed to this report.
The post Gunfire between Secret Service and armed person briefly locks down White House appeared first on Washington Post.
