Secret Service agents opened fire on a man Monday near the White House after he allegedly drew a weapon and fired in the direction of officers, according to Deputy Director Matthew Quinn.
Plainclothes agents spotted the suspect near 15th Street and Independence Avenue NW and flagged him as a suspicious individual carrying what appeared to be a firearm. When uniformed officers moved to apprehend him, the man fled on foot and brandished the weapon, Quinn said. The suspect fired toward Secret Service agents, who returned fire and struck him.
The man was transported to a hospital. His condition remained unknown as of Monday evening.
In the crossfire, a minor bystander was struck by gunfire from the suspect's weapon. That person was also hospitalized, though with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Quinn said there was no evidence connecting the shooting to President Donald Trump or any protective operation targeting him specifically. Vice President JD Vance's motorcade happened to pass through the area moments before the gunfire erupted, but Quinn emphasized the suspect made no move toward the motorcade and investigators found no indication he intended to target it.
The incident marks the second security alarm at the White House in a week. Cole Allen, a 31-year-old teacher and engineer from California, was charged last week with attempting to assassinate the president.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Two incidents in a week is a jolt, and the fact that a bystander took a bullet only adds to the urgency of understanding what really happened at the White House perimeter."
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