Armed man shot by US Secret Service near White House

The Secret Service said a bystander was struck by the suspect in the shooting near the National Mall. The suspect was taken to hospital

An armed man was shot by US Secret Service (USSS) agents in downtown Washington on Monday, officials said, prompting a brief lockdown of the nearby White House.

The shooting near the National Mall took place just after a motorcade carrying Vice-President J.D. Vance had passed by the area, USSS Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said.

Quinn told reporters he did not believe that the vice-president was an intended target and said he could not speculate if it was related to recent attempts on the life of US President Donald Trump.

“I’m not going to guess on that,” he said. “Whether or not it was directed to the president or not, I don’t know, but we will find out.”

Quinn said the shooting took place after Secret Service agents identified a “suspicious individual”, who appeared to have a firearm.

The man fled on foot after being approached by the officers, drew his weapon and opened fire, Quinn said.