politics
Law Enforcement Responds to Reports of Shots Fired Near White House
Federal authorities responded to reports of gunfire near the White House on Saturday evening. Journalists were directed to shelter inside the press briefing room while officials investigated.
May 23, 7:44 PM·2m read11 sources
+8
Los Angeles TimesAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Law enforcement authorities responded to reports of shots fired near the White House grounds on Saturday evening. Journalists working at the site reported hearing a series of gunshots and were directed to seek shelter inside the press briefing room. U.S. Secret Service officers prevented journalists from leaving the area during the response. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Post by @BNONews on X
Incident Details The U.S.
” President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time. The Metropolitan Police Department posted that the Secret Service was working the scene and advised people to avoid the area.
News correspondent Selina Wang posted video on X showing the moment she heard what “sounded like dozens of gunshots” and ducked for cover while filming a social media post. The video had been shared thousands of times and viewed at least 3 million times as of Saturday evening.
NBC News correspondent Julie Tsirkin reported that upward of 20 to 30 shots were fired. Secret Service agents were seen on the grounds with weapons drawn, directing reporters to “get down” before they were ushered into the West Wing press briefing room.
U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her wounds, and Andrew Wolfe, then 24, was critically wounded. Rahmanullah Lakanwal has been charged in that case. Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, recently pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to kill Trump and remains in federal custody.
Following the April 25 incident, Secret Service officers shot a suspect they said had fired at officers near the Washington Monument. Michael Marx, 45, of Midland, Texas, was charged in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in connection with the May 4 shooting, and a teenage bystander was wounded.
