Secret Service Shoots Armed Suspect Near White House
A man was wounded by Secret Service agents near the White House after opening fire; a child was also injured during the exchange.
The United States Secret Service wounded a man near the White House on Monday after he opened fire during an attempted escape. The incident prompted a brief lockdown and is currently under investigation by the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department.
Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn stated that plainclothes agents identified a "suspicious individual" believed to be carrying a firearm. After following the man and calling for backup, uniformed officers arrived, at which point the suspect attempted to flee and fired shots. Agents returned fire, injuring the man, who was subsequently taken to a hospital. A weapon was recovered from the suspect.
A child was also injured during the exchange, though the injuries are not life-threatening. Quinn indicated that investigators believe the child was struck by the suspect's gunfire.
Quinn mentioned that the Secret Service will investigate whether the gunman was targeting President Donald Trump. However, there is no evidence suggesting the suspect intended to target Vice President JD Vance's motorcade, which had passed through the area shortly before the incident.
This event follows an alleged assassination attempt on President Trump at the White House correspondents' dinner on April 25. In that incident, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen was arrested and charged with attempting to kill the president, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and illegally transporting guns and ammunition across state lines. Allen allegedly fired a shotgun toward the stairs leading to the ballroom during the event.