Washington, DC: An armed individual was shot by US Secret Service officers after allegedly opening fire during a confrontation just outside the White House perimeter on Monday, authorities said.
According to Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn, agents patrolling near 15th Street and Independence Avenue identified a “suspicious individual” who appeared to be carrying a firearm. Officers moved in to question the suspect, who briefly fled before turning and firing at them.
Agents returned fire, striking the individual and bringing the incident under control. The suspect was taken to a hospital with injuries, Quinn said, adding that a weapon was recovered at the scene.
🇺🇸 An individual was just shot by law enforcement near the Washington Monument. The White House was briefly locked down.
This is the second major security incident in Washington in under 2 weeks. The last one was the Correspondents' Dinner shooting.
Something is happening to… https://t.co/wTcVafaIte pic.twitter.com/kROqjDMsa5
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 4, 2026
A juvenile bystander was also hit by the suspect’s gunfire but sustained non-life-threatening injuries and is receiving treatment at a local hospital.
The confrontation prompted a temporary lockdown at the White House as a precaution while security teams secured the area. Officials confirmed the suspect never breached White House grounds.
Quinn noted that Vice President JD Vance’s motorcade had passed through the vicinity shortly before the shooting, but investigators have found no evidence suggesting the suspect was targeting the vice president.
President Donald Trump was inside the White House when the incident occurred. When asked whether the episode could be linked to recent threats against the president, Quinn said it remains under investigation. “Whether or not it was directed toward the president, I don’t know, but we will find out,” he told reporters.
The Secret Service earlier confirmed its personnel responded to an officer-involved shooting at the location, with the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C. leading the investigation.
The episode comes less than two weeks after a major security breach at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25 at the Washington Hilton. Authorities said 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen stormed the venue armed with a shotgun and pistol, firing at a Secret Service agent and triggering panic among thousands of attendees, including the president.
Federal agencies are now examining whether Monday’s shooting has any connection to that earlier attack, though no direct link has been established so far.
The latest incident has intensified concerns over security in the nation’s capital, already on edge following the high-profile breach last month.
