A terrifying scene erupted outside the White House Saturday evening after a Maryland man who was reportedly already known to the Secret Service allegedly pulled a gun from a bag and opened fire near a security checkpoint.
The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best, had allegedly been barred from returning to the White House complex before the deadly confrontation, according to The New York Times.
Authorities say Best walked up to a Secret Service checkpoint near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW shortly after 6 p.m. and suddenly began firing at officers.
Within moments, chaos broke out near one of the most heavily guarded buildings in the world.
People on the White House grounds scrambled for cover as gunfire rang out. Secret Service officers returned fire, striking Best. He later died at the hospital.
A bystander was also hit during the terrifying exchange, though officials said it was not immediately clear whether the person was struck by the suspect’s gunfire or during the shootout with officers.
Now, disturbing details about Best’s past encounters near the White House are beginning to surface.
Court records reportedly show Best was arrested last July after entering a restricted area near the White House and ignoring commands to stop. An affidavit cited by The Times claimed he had already caught the attention of the Secret Service after repeatedly walking around the White House complex and asking how to get inside at different entry points.
Best had also allegedly been involuntarily held after blocking a vehicle entrance near the White House. During that encounter, he reportedly told officers he was “Jesus Christ” and said he “wanted to get arrested.”
A bench warrant was later issued after he failed to appear at a court hearing, according to the report.
The shooting unfolded while President Donald Trump was inside the White House. He was not injured.
The White House was placed on lockdown for roughly 30 minutes, though law enforcement remained heavily stationed in the area long after the immediate threat was over.
The incident comes just one month after another alarming security scare involving a man allegedly armed with a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives who pushed past a checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Trump and first lady Melania Trump were evacuated during that incident.
After Saturday’s shooting, Trump praised the Secret Service and law enforcement in a Truth Social post, calling their response “swift and professional.”
The president also appeared to connect the latest scare to his push for a new White House ballroom project, saying the shooting showed the need for what he described as “the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C.”
“The National Security of our Country demands it!” Trump wrote.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
