The White House was placed on immediate lockdown on Monday after a shooting incident near 15th Street and Independence Avenue in Washington, D.C.
The development occurred shortly before President Donald Trump was scheduled to address the press, according to reports from journalists at the scene.
Susan Crabtree of RealClearPolitics said officers of the Secret Service Uniformed Division opened fire on a man suspected to be armed near the White House.
“When the @SecretService officers confronted the man, it went sideways, and they ended up shooting him,” Crabtree wrote on X.
The US Secret Service later confirmed the incident. The agency said one individual was shot by law enforcement officers, although the person’s condition remained unclear.
“One individual was shot by law enforcement; their condition is currently unknown. Please avoid the area as emergency crews are responding,” the secret service said in a statement.
Amid the situation, journalists were moved away from their positions. Megan Cassell, a CNBC photojournalist, said reporters were relocated to the briefing room without clear information about the incident.
“We’re now gathering in the briefing room. No indication as to what’s going on,” Cassell said.
Al Jazeera correspondent Alan Fisher later reported that the security alert was lifted. He added that journalists were subsequently directed back to the briefing room.
Authorities have yet to disclose further details, including the identity of the suspect or the motive behind the incident.
The shooting comes less than two weeks after an attempt on Trump’s life at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The suspect in that case, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, is facing terrorism-related charges.
