Secret Service agents killed an armed suspect who once claimed he was “Jesus Christ”.
A 21-year-old Maryland man with a history of mental health issues and prior encounters with the Secret Service was fatally shot near the White House on Saturday after allegedly opening fire at officers posted at a checkpoint outside the complex.
The incident prompted the North Lawn to be cleared and reporters to be moved into the press briefing room, while the White House and its grounds were placed on lockdown. US President Donald Trump, who was inside the White House at the time, was not affected.
A US Secret Service spokesperson said the male suspect approached a checkpoint at the corner of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, removed a weapon from his bag, and fired at posted officers.
A suspect was killed after opening fire on a Secret Service checkpoint outside the White House Saturday evening, a Secret Service spokesperson told CBS News in a statement.
President Trump has been briefed on the shooting that occurred outside the White House, a White House… pic.twitter.com/zZ8hFvtF8U
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 24, 2026
Secret Service agents returned fire, striking the suspect. He was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, where he later died.
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
A bystander was also critically injured in the incident, though officials said it remained unclear whether the person was struck by the suspect’s initial gunfire or during the subsequent exchange of fire. No Secret Service agents were reported injured.
ABC News correspondent Selina Wang was recording a video on the North Lawn when the shots were heard. “It sounded like dozens of gunshots,” Wang wrote on X. “We were told to sprint to the press briefing room.”
Officials identified the suspect as 21-year-old Nasire Best of Maryland, according to AP. Authorities said Best had a history of mental health issues and prior encounters with the Secret Service, including an earlier attempt to enter a White House checkpoint that led to a court order requiring him to stay away from the area.
The New York Post, citing law enforcement sources and court records, reported that Best had previously claimed he was “Jesus Christ” during a July 2025 detention for bypassing a restricted White House pedestrian checkpoint.
The lockdown imposed on the White House and its grounds was lifted at approximately 6:45 PM local time.
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns around the White House. Earlier this month, the Secret Service said a man was shot by law enforcement near the Washington Monument after opening fire on officers, briefly prompting heightened security in the area.
