Shooter dies after opening fire near the White House; civilian is shot

A man opened fire on a security checkpoint near the White House, in Washington, last Saturday night (23), mobilizing the Secret Service, the FBI and National Guard troops. The suspect was killed by security agents; A pedestrian passing by was also shot. President Donald Trump (Republicans) was there at the time of the attack.

At around 6pm local time (7pm Brasília time), the suspect approached the west gate of the White House and, according to Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi, broke into the security perimeter, “pulled a gun from his backpack and opened fire”. The Secret Service fired back and hit him. He was rescued and taken to a hospital, but he did not survive and died.

A pedestrian who was passing through the area was also shot during the exchange of gunfire and is fine. The full circumstances of the case continue to be investigated by local authorities.

Chaos scene

Journalists present on the North Lawn reported scenes of panic and were ordered to take refuge in the press room, A Canadian tourist who was nearby told the agency AFP that “at first it looked like fireworks, but they were gunshots, and then everyone started running.”

Police quickly isolated access to the White House complex, with reinforcements from the National Guard blocking areas in the center of the capital.

American media outlets identified the shooter as Nasire Best, 21, from Maryland, in the Washington metropolitan area. According to reports, Best had a history of mental illness and was already known to the Secret Service for having visited the White House on several previous occasions.

Trump’s reaction

After the incident, Trump published in Truth Social praising the agents’ performance and stated that the suspect had a “history of violence and possible obsession” with the White House. The president had canceled his weekend trips due to the diplomatic crisis with Iran, and was therefore there at the time of the attack.

If confirmed that the target was Trump, this would be the fourth attack on him since returning to power. The most recent was on April 25, when a gunman breached a security checkpoint near a ballroom where Trump was attending a press dinner.

Before that, in July 2024, during the presidential campaign, Trump was slightly injured in the ear by gunfire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania — an attack that killed a spectator. Months later, another shooter was arrested at a golf course in West Palm Beach, where the then-candidate played sports.

This week’s episode reignites the debate about security surrounding the presidency and the climate of political and social tension that characterizes the current government in the United States.