A young man allegedly opened fire on law enforcement officers at a security checkpoint near the White House in Washington before being fatally shot by members of the US Secret Service, the agency responsible for protecting the US president, vice president and other senior officials, on Saturday evening. Authorities also confirmed that a passerby was wounded in the crossfire.

US President Donald Trump was inside the White House complex when the shooting erupted. Trump had canceled scheduled travel due to the ongoing conflict with Iran. According to Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi, the president was not affected by the incident.

The shooting unfolded shortly after 6:00 p.m. local time, when a man positioned near the White House security perimeter “removed a firearm from a bag and opened fire,” Guglielmi said.

“Secret Service officers returned fire and struck the suspect, who was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead,” the spokesperson added. “During the exchange of gunfire, a passerby was also struck by bullets.” No further details were released regarding the condition of the injured civilian.
No Secret Service agents were wounded in the incident, officials said.

According to US media reports, including CNN and ABC News, the suspect was identified as 21-year-old Nazir Best from the state of Maryland, near Washington. The young man reportedly had a history of psychiatric issues and was already known to the Secret Service. Sources cited by ABC said he had attempted to enter the White House grounds the previous day, telling guards that he was “Jesus Christ” and wanted to be arrested.