A suspect named Nasir Best was shot and killed by the Secret Service after opening fire at a White House checkpoint, according to the agency.
Washington – one person Open fire on White House security checkpoint Saturday The U.S. Secret Service said he was shot and killed after police returned fire.
The law enforcement agency said in a statement Preliminary statement published on X Shortly after 6 p.m. ET, someone in the area of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue “pulled a weapon out of a bag” and began shooting. The Secret Service said officers returned fire, striking the suspect, who was taken to a hospital where he later died.
A law enforcement official identified the suspect as 21-year-old Nasire Best. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the investigation.
According to District of Columbia court records, Best was arrested in July 2025 after he attempted to enter another White House checkpoint without authorization, disobeyed police orders to stop, “claimed to be Jesus Christ” and expressed a desire to be arrested. A preliminary hearing was held and a “pretrial stay away order” was issued, which is typically a measure ordering a defendant to stay away from a person or area until trial. A bench warrant was issued for Best’s arrest in August after he was served with a “violation” notice, but Best did not attend a subsequent hearing.
Multiple reports, citing sources, said Best had a known history of mental illness.
A bystander was also shot Saturday, but a law enforcement official said it was unclear whether that person was hit by the suspect’s initial bullet or by subsequent bullets fired by police.
The Secret Service said no officers were injured and Trump, who was at the White House at the time, was not “under the influence.”
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