US: White House locked down after shots fired

The White House has been placed on lockdown after multiple gunshots were heard nearby on Saturday evening.

Benjamin Alvarez, DW's Washington DC correspondent, said that there is a "heavy Secret Service, police, and National Guard presence at 17th and H Street NW," just outside the White House.

DC Police confirmed the Secret Service was on the scene and urged the public to avoid the area.

The director of the FBI, Kash Patel, said the FBI was supporting Secret Service agents on the scene near at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

What do we know about the shooting near the White House?

According to US media reports, the alleged gunman shot at Secret Service agents stationed outside the White House and died after being shot during the incident.

"Secret Service police officers returned fire, striking the suspect, who was transported to an area hospital, where he later died," the statement said.

A bystander was also reportedly shot. No information has been provided on the victim's condition.

A law enforcement official told reporters on condition of anonymity that the suspect was emotionally disturbed and had previously been issued with a "stay-away order."

US President Donald Trump was at the White House at the time of the shooting. It is not known if he was the intended target.

He had said in a post on his Truth Social platform earlier on Saturday evening that he was working on finalizing a deal with Iran.

The scene of Saturday's shooting is very close to where two West Virginia National Guard troops were shot in November 2025. One of the soldiers died, while the other was left in critical condition.

Saturday's incident comes less than a month after Trump was targeted in what authorities say was an attempted assassination on April 25 while the president attended the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner at a hotel in the US capital.

A 31-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder.

Trump, 79, has survived two other alleged assassination attempts. 

A bullet grazed his ear when he was targeted at an election campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024.

In September that year, a man was accused of plotting to kill Trump at his Florida golf course.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko

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