Law enforcement was involved in the shooting of an individual near the Washington Monument on Monday, leading to a brief security lockdown at the White House. The United States Secret Service confirmed an “officer-involved shooting” at 15th Street and Independence Avenue. The man was reportedly spotted carrying a gun by plainclothes officers and opened fire at them before being shot.
“One individual was shot by law enforcement,” said the agency in a statement.
Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn said the officers spotted the man around 3.30 p.m. near the White House complex and saw the imprint of the firearm on him. They called on uniformed officers after following him briefly. The person tried to flee when the uniformed officers approached him. He opened fire at the officers, who retaliated, according to Quinn.
Quinn did not report on the current condition of the suspect.
A spokesperson for the local fire department told AP that emergency responders transferred an adult male to a hospital, while a teenage male was treated for minor injuries.
Quinn said the investigators believed that boy was struck by the suspect’s gun, though he clarified it was not definite.
“We’ll let the doctors figure that out,” he said.
He informed that the Washington, D.C., police would investigate the incident.
The Secret Service appealed to the public to avoid the area as the responders continued their work.
US President Donald Trump was holding a business event at the White House at the time of the incident. Security protocols were activated and the White House was placed under lockdown. Journalists, who were outside, were taken into the briefing room. AP reported that Trump’s event remained uninterrupted.
Security concerns in the White House house have escalated during recent times, with the incident occuring around a week after an attempted attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
