Multiple sources confirmed to news outlets that the man accused of opening fire near the White House on Saturday evening has been identified as Nasire Best, a 21-year-old from Maryland.
According to the United States Secret Service, the suspect approached a security checkpoint near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington at approximately 6 p.m. local time, removed a handgun from a bag, and began firing toward officers stationed at the checkpoint.
Advertisement
A senior administration official familiar with the incident said Best allegedly fired roughly three shots in the direction of the executive mansion before Secret Service agents returned fire and fatally shot him.
Officials also said the suspect allegedly had previous interactions with the Secret Service and a documented history of mental health issues, Fox News reported.
Chilling video from the incident has emerged:
🚨 WATCH: Shots fired outside of The White House pic.twitter.com/wURmByTvNP
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 23, 2026
Reports said the White House was immediately placed on lockdown, which was later lifted.
Advertisement
An adult bystander was struck by gunfire during the exchange, though officials had not released information about the person’s condition, according to a senior administration official familiar with the incident.
Witnesses reported hearing as many as 30 gunshots near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building during the confrontation.
Officials said the suspect never breached the outer security perimeter surrounding the White House grounds.
According to information obtained by Fox News, Nasire Best had previously been detained by the United States Secret Service on June 26, 2025, after allegedly flagging down agents and making threats. He was reportedly detained again on July 10, 2025, for entering a restricted area.
All Secret Service personnel involved in the incident were reported safe, though one uniformed officer was transported to a hospital as a precautionary measure, Fox added.
President Donald Trump commended 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,” the president added.
Trump stated that the shooting highlighted the necessity for enhanced security measures 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.,” he wrote.
“The National Security of our Country demands it!”
FBI Director Kash Patel said agents were dispatched to the scene and “supporting Secret Service responding to shots fired near White House grounds.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed it responded to the scene alongside the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia.
During the incident, Secret Service agents were heard warning reporters to “get down” before members of the press corps were rushed into the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room inside the West Wing.
Agents were also seen across the White House grounds with weapons drawn as security teams moved to secure the area.
Hours before the shooting erupted near the White House, Trump had announced that his administration was nearing a potential agreement aimed at ending the war with Iran, noting that he was working from the Oval Office at the time.
The Secret Service confirmed that the president had remained inside the White House during the incident but was not harmed or directly affected by the gunfire.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
