A man was shot by Secret Service agents on Monday after he opened fire on law enforcement near the White House and Washington Monument area.
Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn said the incident happened in the afternoon when around 3:30 p.m. plainclothes agents spotted a man in the vicinity of the White House complex with what appeared to be a concealed firearm.
The agents followed him briefly and alerted uniformed officers.
Quinn said the suspect attempted to flee when confronted by uniformed officers and then opened fire. Officers returned fire, striking him. The man was taken to hospital; his condition has not been disclosed.
Secret Service shoots man at National Mall while Trump was giving a speech in the White House’s East Room.
An unintended bystander is believed to have been hit in the leg as well.
White House was locked down. pic.twitter.com/rBCqlXFJbs
— National Conservative (@NatCon2022) May 4, 2026
A child was also injured during the incident and transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The incident took place at 15th Street and Independence Avenue in Washington, D.C. in the National Mall area.
A motorcade carrying US Vice President JD Vance had passed through the area near Washington Monument.
The White House was briefly placed under lockdown during the incident. President Donald Trump continued his scheduled engagement without interruption.
🚨 JUST IN: Secret Service Deputy Director briefs on D.C. officer-involved shooting.
Plainclothes agents engaged an armed suspect.Suspect fired first.
A juvenile was struck, condition unknown.
Agents returned fire, hit the suspect, who is now in custody.Investigation ongoing pic.twitter.com/sFQ0ElqR3g
— Alec Lace (@AlecLace) May 4, 2026
The shooting comes just over a week after another attempted security breach near a White House-related event, where a gunman allegedly tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner armed with weapons and knives. In that case, an officer was shot but survived, and a suspect identified as Cole Tomas Allen has been charged.
Quinn said it is not yet known whether Monday’s shooting was directed at the president. “Whether or not it was directed to the president or not, I don’t know,” he said.
The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police will investigate the officer-involved shooting.
Ali Imran is a Washington-based journalist, who has worked for leading world news organizations as a correspondent, expert and in editorial positions. He is a published author and poet.
