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Multiple sources confirmed to Fox News Digital the male gunman who allegedly opened fire with a pistol Saturday near the White House in Washington, D.C., and was fatally shot by the U.S. Secret Service, has been identified as Nasire Best, 21, of Maryland.
At about 6 p.m. local time, the suspect allegedly approached a Secret Service checkpoint near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, removed a weapon from his bag and began firing at posted officers, a Secret Service spokesperson said.
Best, who allegedly had prior encounters with the Secret Service and a history of mental health issues, fired about three shots toward the executive mansion before he was taken down by Secret Service agents, according to a senior administration official with direct knowledge of the incident.
The White House was placed on lockdown, which was later lifted.
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An armed Secret Service agent reacts at the White House in Washington, DC, after gunshots were reportedly heard on May 23, 2026. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images)
An adult bystander on the street was shot in the exchange and their condition is unknown, the senior official said.
As many as 30 shots were reportedly heard in the direction of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
The senior official said the suspect never got inside the general perimeter of the White House grounds.
Best was detained by the Secret Service on June 26, 2025, for flagging down agents and making threats, and again on July 10, 2025, for entering a restricted area, Fox News has learned.
All members of the Secret Service were reported safe, though one uniformed agent was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
An armed Secret Service agent is seen near the White House in Washington, DC, after gunshots were apparently heard on May 23, 2026. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images)
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President Donald Trump praised the response to the shooting near the White House in a Truth Social post early Sunday.
“Thank you to our great Secret Service and Law Enforcement for the swift and professional action taken this evening against a gunman near the White House, who had a violent history and possible obsession with our Country’s most cherished structure,” he wrote. “The gunman is dead after an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service Agents near the White House gates.”
Trump said the shooting underscored the need for stronger security protections around the White House.
“This event is one month removed from the White House Correspondent Dinner shooting, and goes to show how important it is, for all future Presidents, to get, what will be, the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C. The National Security of our Country demands it!”
FBI and other federal law enforcement agents at the scene of a shooting near the White House on May 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Leyden/Getty Images)
FBI Director Kash Patel said his agency’s agents are at the scene and “supporting Secret Service responding to shots fired near White House grounds.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) confirmed it is also responding, along with the Metropolitan Police Department.
Secret Service agents were heard telling reporters to “get down,” before the press were ushered into the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room in the West Wing.
Secret Service agents were seen on the White House grounds with their weapons drawn.
An armed Secret Service agent looks on at the White House in Washington, DC, after gunshots were apparently heard on May 23, 2026. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)
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Hours before the alleged gunfire rang out, Trump announced the administration was close to finalizing a deal to end the war with Iran, noting he was in the White House Oval Office.
The president was at the White House during the incident, but was not affected, according to the Secret Service.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
