A chaotic scene unfolded outside the White House when a man opened fire on a security checkpoint, leading to a tragic outcome and leaving a bystander caught in the crossfire. This bystander, whose identity remains undisclosed, was hit by gunfire during the incident and is currently in serious but stable condition, according to U.S. Secret Service officials. Fortunately, the gunshot wound is not considered life-threatening, though specifics about how the bystander was injured remain unclear.
The incident, which occurred early Saturday evening, has been surrounded by sparse details as authorities continue their investigation. The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best from Dundalk, Maryland, targeted the White House security checkpoint, prompting Secret Service officers to return fire. Best was later declared dead at a hospital.
President Donald Trump was present in the White House when the shooting transpired, marking the third such incident near him within a month. Previously, an armed man disrupted the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in April, and another individual was shot by Secret Service officers near the Washington Monument after firing at them earlier this month.
In response to the latest shooting, President Trump took to Truth Social, suggesting the assailant might have harbored a “possible obsession with our Country’s most cherished structure.” Seizing the moment, Trump also reiterated his proposal for a new ballroom on the site of the former East Wing, labeling it as a crucial enhancement for future presidents’ safety. He is appealing to Congress for a $1 billion budget to bolster security measures on the White House campus, including the construction of this state-of-the-art facility.
It was the third shooting near the president in the past month, after a man stormed the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in April armed with guns and knives, and Secret Service officers shot and wounded a man who fired at them earlier this month near the Washington Monument.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said the suspect in Saturday’s shooting had a “possible obsession with our Country’s most cherished structure.” He also used the shooting to promote the ballroom he is seeking to build on the site of the White House’s former East Wing, saying the shooting “goes to show how important it is, for all future Presidents, to get, what will be, the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C.” Trump is asking Congress for $1 billion for security additions for the White House campus, including the ballroom.
Best had a previous run-in with law enforcement near the White House, according to District of Columbia court records. He was arrested last July for attempting to enter White House grounds near a different checkpoint. He failed to heed officers’ commands to stop, claimed to be Jesus Christ and said he wanted to be arrested.
Best was a track and field athlete at Dundalk High School, from which he graduated in 2023.
A woman who identified herself as Best’s mother told The Washington Post that she learned about the shooting on social media and was in disbelief. She said her son “was never violent, regardless of what people are posting.”
