By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-03-09 13:00:18 | Updated at 2025-03-09 22:02:35
9 hours ago
A gunman was shot by Secret Service members after being spotted with a firearm just outside the White House at midnight on Saturday night.
The armed man, from Indiana, parked his vehicle on 17th and G Streets - just a stone's throw away from the President's home - and was walking around the streets with a gun.
Secret Service agents received intelligence that the man, who was reported as experiencing suicidal ideation, would be making a journey to the Capitol on Saturday.
President Trump was at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida when the ordeal took place.
When agents found the suicidal man, he started brandishing his firearm - which triggered an armed confrontation just feet from the White House.
The man, who has not been identified, was rushed to hospital with injuries. The Secret Service members were unharmed during the incident.
Anthony Guglielmi, Chief of Communications for the US Secret Service, said on Sunday morning: 'Secret Service personnel were involved in a shooting following an armed encounter with a person of interest shortly after midnight on March 9 at 17th and G Streets NW.'
The Secret Service explained that agents first spotted his car on the street, directly to the right of the White House.
The armed man had parked his vehicle on a street just to the right of the White House (stock image). President Trump was not at home in DC during the ordeal
They then spotted the individual on foot who matched his description.
The statement continued: 'As officers approached, the individual brandished a firearm and an armed confrontation ensued, during which shots were fired by our personnel.
'The suspect was transported to an area hospital and his condition is unknown. There were no reported injuries to Secret Service personnel.
'The incident is under investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department Internal Affairs Division's Force Investigations Team, which investigates all law enforcement officer involved shootings in the District of Columbia.'
On Saturday, there were many groups of protesters gathering in Washington DC.
LGBT activists marched through DC to the Kennedy Center at nightfall, claiming that Trump has waged a war against drag shows.
Earlier in the day, Iranian Americans took to the Capitol's streets demanding a 'Free Iran. Their protest began at the Capitol Reflecting Pool.
There is no indication that the man who was shot was in DC for any of the rallies.
A gunman has been shot by Secret Service members after being spotted just outside the White House after midnight on Saturday
The midnight incident in DC comes just months after President Trump faced a series of threats to his life during his campaign trail to become Commander in Chief.
Last July, Trump was shot at one of his rallies in Butler, Pennsylvania, with the bullet grazing his ear and leaving a trail of blood streaming down his face.
The shooter, Thomas Crooks, fired eight rounds from an AR-15-style rifle from the roof of a nearby building while the GOP leader was speaking to crowds.
Crooks killed one audience member and injured two others, before being neutralized by a Secret Service sniper.
The dramatic assassination attempt became a focal point of the last election - and triggered debates about the effectiveness of the Secret Service and protective officers surrounding the presidential hopefuls.
Following the July close call, Trump was also the target of another failed assassination attempt at his golf course in West Palm Beach.
The shooter, Ryan Routh, was pointing a rifle at a member of Trump's security detail from the shrubbery skirting the golf course where the President was playing. He faces trial later this year.
