Construction cranes and the American flag outside the White House on Thursday, April 16, 2026 in Washington, DC, USA.
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U.S. Secret Service agents shot and killed a person near the White House on Saturday, and a bystander was also shot and killed, law enforcement officials said.
Both men are in serious condition, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the investigation.
Journalists working in the White House reported hearing a series of gunshots and were told to take shelter in the press briefing room. Secret Service agents prevented them from leaving.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or information on their condition.
In X, the Secret Service said it was “aware of reports of shots fired in the area of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW,” a block from the White House, and was “working with personnel at the scene to corroborate the information.” There will be an update soon.
In a social media post about the X, FBI Director Kash Patel said officers were responding to the shooting and would “update the public as best we can.”
President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time.
In a post shared on X, ABC News senior White House correspondent Serena Wang shared a dramatic video of the moment she ducked for cover after hearing “what sounded like dozens of gunshots.” Wang wrote that she was doing what White House reporters do every day: filming themselves on their cellphones to post on social media, but the video shows her speaking for a few seconds about President Trump’s comments on Saturday about a possible Iran deal.
When gunshots are heard in the background, Wang ducks into the media tent, eyes wide. The tent is one of many that line the driveway of the White House where broadcasters film news coverage. On X, Wang’s video had been shared thousands of times and viewed at least 3 million times as of Saturday night.
The Metropolitan Police Department said on its X account that the Secret Service was on the scene and warned people to avoid it. The scene is near the site where a gunman ambushed two West Virginia National Guard soldiers last November.
Sarah Beckstrom, 20, a U.S. Army specialist, died from her injuries. Andrew Wolfe, 24 at the time, was seriously injured. Rahmanullah Rakanwar was charged in the case.
Saturday’s shooting occurred nearly a month after law enforcement officials said it was an attempted assassination of the president as he attended the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner at a Washington hotel on April 25. Cole Thomas Allen, of Torrance, California, recently pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to kill President Trump and remains in federal custody.
In response to the scare, Secret Service agents shot and killed a suspect who allegedly fired at police officers near the Washington Monument, also near the White House. Michael Marks, 45, of Midland, Texas, was charged in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in connection with the May 4 shooting. A teenage bystander was injured in the incident.
This story is developing. Please refresh to check for updates.
