Nasire Best, 21, opened fire near a Secret Service checkpoint outside the White House shortly before 6 p.m. on May 23, 2026. He approached the checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, pulled a handgun from a bag, and fired at officers, prompting agents to return fire [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].

The exchange involved between 10 and 25 shots, scattering witnesses and forcing journalists nearby to run and shelter indoors. ABC News correspondent Selina Wang reported, "We were told to sprint to the press briefing room where we are holding now," and described the sound as "dozens of gunshots" [1, 2, 7, 8, 9].

The suspect was struck by return fire and taken to a hospital, where he later died from his wounds that evening [4, 5, 6, 10]. No Secret Service officers were injured during the incident [1, 5, 6].

One or two bystanders were also wounded, though reports differ on the exact number. Some sources say two bystanders were hit, while others report one. It remains unclear whether the bystanders were hit by the suspect or by return fire from agents [1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10].

The FBI supported the Secret Service response at the scene. FBI Director Kash Patel stated, "FBI is on the scene and supporting Secret Service responding to shots fired near White House grounds" [2, 3, 4, 6, 11, 8, 9, 10].

Nasire Best was known to the Secret Service and had a documented history of mental health issues. He had previous encounters with law enforcement near the White House, including arrests and involuntary commitment in 2025 after unlawful entry and obstructing vehicle entry [1, 12, 6, 10].

President Donald Trump, 79, was at the White House during the shooting. He praised law enforcement, saying, "The swift and professional action of law enforcement officials is greatly appreciated" [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 8, 9, 10].

A Canadian tourist described the scene: "We heard probably 20 to 25 what sounded like fireworks, but they’re gunshots, and then everyone started running" [2].

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the exact timing of shots that hit bystanders. No further injuries among law enforcement or civilians have been reported.

The investigation and security operations around the White House remain ongoing following the shooting on May 23.