Washington: The U.S. Secret Service shot an armed man near the White House early Sunday following a confrontation, the agency confirmed in a statement. The individual, whose identity has not been disclosed, was transported to a nearby hospital. His current condition remains unknown.
President Donald Trump was not present at the White House during the incident, as he was spending the weekend at his Florida residence.
The Secret Service shot an armed man outside the White House after a confrontation. The man is now in an area hospital, it said https://t.co/cIP0HsWEzI pic.twitter.com/xRG9Kook4D
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 9, 2025
According to the Secret Service, local authorities provided a tip on Saturday about a potentially suicidal individual traveling to Washington, D.C., from Indiana. Law enforcement officers located the person’s vehicle parked a block from the White House. When officers approached, the man displayed a firearm, prompting Secret Service personnel to open fire just after midnight local time.
No Secret Service officers were injured in the encounter. Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department stated that its internal affairs division is conducting an investigation but declined to provide additional details.
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Over the years, there have been multiple incidents involving armed individuals attempting to breach White House security. In 2016, security officers shot a man who brandished a handgun at a White House checkpoint. More recently, in 2023, a 20-year-old Indian immigrant, Sai Varshith Kandula, attempted to break through the White House’s security barriers using a rented truck but was unsuccessful.
In July, former President Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A gunman fired at him, wounding his ear. A subsequent Secret Service review cited communication lapses and a lack of diligence as contributing factors to the near-miss.
