A series of gunshots heard this Saturday near the White House have once again reminded the United States of the specter of political violence. The Secret Service has shot the alleged attacker, who was taken to a hospital, where he died. There is a second person injured by the fire of federal agents, who, according to initial reports, had no connection with the attacker. He is in critical condition.
The incident occurs just a month after the assassination attempt against President Donald Trump at the Washington Hilton hotel correspondents’ dinner. The attack carried out by Cole Thomas Allen forced the evacuation in April of both the president and the first lady as well as Vice President J. D. Vance.
Compared to the one a month ago, this Saturday’s episode posed practically no danger to the Republican leader. A man approached around 6:00 p.m. Washington time, midnight in mainland Spain, a checkpoint located at the intersection of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, very close to the White House. The suspect took his weapon out of a bag and began shooting at the agents.
After the initial confusion, authorities reported that the attacker had been “neutralized” and taken to George Washington hospital. Later, his death was reported. He was a person “with mental disorders,” according to the description of an official consulted by the Reuters agency.
During the confusion of the first moments when between 15 and 30 shots were heard, White House officials decreed the security lockdown of the presidential complex facilities. The lockdown lasted less than an hour. Authorities later reported that the situation was under control and that no agents had been injured.
Trump had decided to stay in Washington this weekend due to the possibility of a ceasefire agreement with Iran, so there were many journalists at the White House waiting for news about the conflict in the Middle East. But the news came from another unexpected place.
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At the start of the shooting, reporters were moved to the White House conference room. There they were ordered to take cover while Secret Service agents shouted “get down.” According to CNN’s count, there were two dozen journalists taking cover inside the conference room during the White House lockdown, including photographers, producers, photojournalists, and correspondents.
The president was in the official residence during the shooting, in which he was not affected. The Secret Service has informed him about the incident, according to a White House official.
I was in the middle of taping on my iPhone for a social video from the White House North Lawn when we heard the shots. It sounded like dozens of gunshots. We were told to sprint to the press briefing room where we are holding now. pic.twitter.com/iqdQwh4soq
— Selina Wang (@selinawangtv) May 23, 2026
A video circulating on social media shows the moment when ABC News White House correspondent Selina Wang is surprised by the sound of gunfire while recording to go on air. “I was in the middle of a recording with my iPhone for a video intended for social media, from the White House North Lawn, when we heard the shots. They sounded like dozens of shots. We were told to run quickly to the press briefing room, where we are now,” she later wrote on her X account.
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