A man took a gun out of a bag and fired a volley of shots near the White House on Saturday evening before being shot and fatally wounded by U.S. Secret Service police officers, the Secret Service said in a statement.
A bystander was also struck by gunfire, the statement said, though it did not give details on the nature or severity of the injuries. It was unclear who fired the shot that struck the bystander.
The gunman was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No officers were injured, the Secret Service said.
The shooting took place a little after 6 p.m. near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, at the northwestern corner of the White House grounds.
President Trump, who was in the building at the time the gunfire occurred, had made it known on Friday that he would be spending the holiday weekend at the White House.
Allison Robbert, a photographer for The New York Times, said that about 20 to 30 gunshots were heard from the north lawn of the White House.
“Journalists heard it from outside the press room and were ushered inside by Secret Service,” she said in a text message.
Selina Wang, a senior White House correspondent for ABC News, posted a video on social media of her recording a report when what sounds like gunfire can be heard in the background.
She was about three seconds into the recording when the noises are heard, and she heads to the floor for cover.
“I was in the middle of taping on my iPhone for a social video from the White House North Lawn when we heard the shots,” she wrote on X. “It sounded like dozens of gunshots. We were told to sprint to the press briefing room where we are holding now.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Christopher Mele and Mark Walker contributed reporting.
