A gunman who fired at a White House checkpoint was shot by officers and died in hospital on Saturday evening, the Secret Service said.
Shortly before 6pm local time, the man had approached the checkpoint where 17th Street meets Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, pulled a gun from his bag and started shooting at officers, a Secret Service statement sent to Reuters read. Officers returned fire and shot him.
The gunman was identified as an emotionally disturbed person, a law enforcement official told Reuters, and a “stay-away order” had previously been imposed on him.
No law enforcement personnel were injured, the Secret Service said. President Donald Trump was in the White House when the incident took place.
A bystander was struck by gunfire, though the extent of their injuries has yet to be made public, nor was it clear whether they were hit when the gunman began shooting or during the subsequent exchange of fire.
In a statement posted on social media, Mr Trump thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement for their “swift and professional action” in responding to the attack. He said the gunman had “a violent history and possible obsession with our country’s most cherished structure”.
Mr Trump noted the incident came shortly after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting on April 25, describing the attacks as a reminder of the importance of “a most safe and secure space” for future presidents and saying “the national security of our country demands it”.
The shooting comes nearly a month after a gunman fired shots inside the hotel hosting the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, prompting Mr Trump and other officials to be rushed to safety.
