White House briefly locked down after man pulls gun
What's the story
The White House was briefly locked down on Monday after a man allegedly opened fire on the United States Secret Service near the President's official residence on Monday. The incident took place at around 15th Street and Independence Avenue, just over half a mile from the White House and near the Washington Monument. The suspect was shot by Secret Service officers after he brandished a firearm, according to a federal source cited by Fox News Digital.
Incident details
Bystander juvenile child injured
During the confrontation, a juvenile bystander was injured. The child was hit by the suspect but fortunately did not suffer life-threatening injuries, Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn confirmed during a press conference. The confrontation started when trained surveillance personnel spotted what they called a "visual print" of a weapon on the suspect. "Upon making contact, that individual fled briefly on foot, withdrew a firearm and fired in the direction of our agents and officers," Quinn said.
Motorcade proximity
Suspect targeting Trump? Quinn refuses to speculate
Quinn also confirmed that Vice President JD Vance's motorcade had passed through the area shortly before the shooting. However, he clarified that this was unrelated to the incident. When asked if the suspect was targeting President Donald Trump, especially after recent events at the White House Correspondents's Dinner, Quinn refused to speculate. "I can't say—I'm not going to guess on that," Quinn said, emphasizing that patrolling this area is a routine part of their operations regardless of potential threats.
Ongoing investigation
Suspect alive, taken to hospital
The suspect was reportedly alive and taken to a hospital after the incident. On Saturday night, a California man tried to storm the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, carrying a semi-automatic handgun, a pump-action shotgun and three knives. Prosecutors allege Cole Thomas Allen planned his attack for weeks and tracked Trump's movements online. He has been charged with attempting to assassinate Trump. He was also charged with two firearms offenses.