The gunman who opened fire at a U.S. Secret Service checkpoint near the White House on Saturday evening has been identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best, according to law enforcement officials cited in multiple reports.
Best died after Secret Service officers returned fire. President Trump was inside the White House at the time but was not impacted.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the bureau was on the ground almost immediately.
FBI is on the scene and supporting Secret Service responding to shots fired near White House grounds – we will update the public as we’re able
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) May 23, 2026
According to Fox News, the incident unfolded around 6 p.m. Eastern near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, where a male suspect brandished a pistol and fired roughly three shots toward the White House.
The timeline from Fox News puts the first shots around 6 p.m. Eastern near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, close to the White House security perimeter. A male suspect armed with a pistol reportedly fired roughly three shots toward the White House before U.S. Secret Service personnel returned fire and struck him.
The lockdown was lifted around 7:30 p.m. Eastern after the immediate threat was contained. Fox reported that a nearby civilian was also shot during the exchange, that the suspect was later pronounced dead, and that no Secret Service personnel were injured.
The key White House detail is this: President Trump was inside the executive mansion while the incident unfolded, but officials said he was not impacted. The suspect also never breached the general perimeter of the White House grounds.
Fox also noted that reporters and federal officers described a heavy law-enforcement response around the complex after the shooting. The scene quickly shifted from an initial lockdown to a controlled federal response around the checkpoint area.
The Secret Service released a preliminary statement shortly after the lockdown was lifted.
Preliminary statement regarding the shooting incident on 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. pic.twitter.com/NOdFKmwVuU
— U.S. Secret Service Office of Communications (@SecretSvcSpox) May 24, 2026
Reporters on the North Lawn described the moment the shots rang out.
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
The suspect’s identity was first reported by the Associated Press, which cited a law enforcement official. The AP also uncovered a troubling history.
The identification update names the deceased suspect as 21-year-old Nasire Best. The Associated Press attributed the identification to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation, so the name should be treated as reported identification rather than a formal public Secret Service naming release.
The court-record history is what makes this update especially troubling. District of Columbia records reviewed by the AP show Best was arrested in July 2025 after attempting to enter a different White House checkpoint without authorization, refusing commands to stop, claiming he was Jesus Christ, and saying he wanted to be arrested.
After that earlier incident, a pretrial stay-away order was issued, which typically bars a defendant from going near a person or location before trial. A bench warrant followed in August after a noncompliance notice when Best failed to appear for a later hearing.
AP also reported that Saturday’s shooting was the third gunfire episode near President Trump in roughly a month. The earlier incidents involved the White House Correspondents Dinner in April and a May 4 shooting near the Washington Monument.
This was the third time in roughly a month that gunfire has erupted near President Trump. Shots were fired near the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April and again near the Washington Monument on May 4.
No official motive has been released. The investigation is ongoing, with the FBI and Secret Service leading the response.
The immediate takeaway is that Secret Service agents at the checkpoint did exactly what they are trained to do. They neutralized the threat and kept the President safe.
The deeper question is how a 21-year-old with an existing bench warrant and a documented history of erratic behavior at White House checkpoints was able to approach with a loaded weapon in the first place.
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