BREAKING: Suspect Shot Dead After White House Security Shooting

A 21-year-old man has been shot dead by U.S. Secret Service officers after he opened fire at a security checkpoint just outside the White House in Washington on Saturday evening.

The incident occurred shortly after 6pm local time when the suspect, identified as Nasire Best, approached the checkpoint at the intersection of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest. According to officials, he pulled a gun from a bag and fired on the officers.

The Secret Service returned fire, hitting the suspect who was taken to George Washington University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Reports indicate between 15 and 30 gunshots were exchanged during the brief confrontation.

A bystander was also wounded in the incident, though it is not yet clear whether the person was hit by the suspect’s bullets or by those fired by the officers. No Secret Service personnel were injured.

The White House complex was placed under a brief lockdown, which was lifted around 6:46pm.

Journalists and staff on the North Lawn were hurriedly moved into the briefing room and instructed to shelter in place as agents shouted warnings of active gunfire.

President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time of the shooting but was unaffected by the incident, according to the Secret Service.

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was assisting the Secret Service at the scene.

The motive for the attack has not been made public, and the suspect’s full background remains under investigation. Some U.S. reports suggest the man had previous encounters with the Secret Service.

This latest security breach comes amid heightened concerns over threats to high-profile U.S. political figures and comes weeks after another shooting incident involving a gunman at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.