White House enters emergency lockdown after armed man shot near Trump

Adriana Stone 0 1 min read

White House Locked Down After Armed Man Shot Near Complex

The White House went on lockdown Monday afternoon after reports of gunfire near the complex in Washington, D.C. Reporters inside the building were moved fast into the briefing room, while others were pulled away from their camera positions as the security response got underway.

One report from the scene said shots were fired near 15th and Independence, close to the White House perimeter. The area was quickly locked down as officials worked to figure out what was happening and where the threat might be coming from.

President Trump was at the White House participating in a small business summit when the security incident unfolded. That put a major federal response right in the middle of an already active day at the building.

Secret Service officials later said an officer-involved shooting had taken place. The agency released this statement: “U.S. Secret Service personnel are on the scene of an officer-involved shooting at 15th Street and Independence Avenue in Washington, D.C. One individual was shot by law enforcement; their condition is currently unknown. Please avoid the area as emergency crews are responding.”

Reporter Susan Crabtree also described the confrontation this way: “When the Secret Service officers confronted the man, it went sideways, and they ended up shooting him, sources in the Secret Service community told RealClearPolitics,”. RealClearPolitics reported that the man was in custody and that he did have a gun.

A juvenile who was nearby was also struck by gunfire, according to officials, but the injury was not believed to be life-threatening. That detail added another layer of concern to a tense scene already unfolding just steps from the center of federal power.

The episode came only days after a separate security scare involving 31-year-old Cole Allen, who reportedly stormed the lobby of the Washington Hilton and opened fire at Secret Service agents tied to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. That earlier case, followed by Monday’s lockdown, is another reminder that security around the White House stays under a microscope every single day.

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