WASHINGTON: The U.S. Secret Service said on Monday its officers confronted an armed and “suspicious individual” near the White House who later fired at them before fleeing on foot and being shot by law enforcement.
The incident led to a brief lockdown at the White House.
Agents patrolling the outer perimeter of the White House complex identified a person who Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said was a “suspicious individual that appeared to have a firearm.”
He briefly fled on foot after being approached by Secret Service officers and fired in their direction, Quinn said at a press conference.
Secret Service then fired at the suspect who was hit and subsequently hospitalized, Quinn added.
Vice President JD Vance’s motorcade transited through the area “not long before” the incident, Quinn said. There was no indication that the suspect intended to approach Vance’s motorcade, the Secret Service deputy director said.
A juvenile bystander was hit by the suspect but did not receive any life-threatening injuries and was being treated at a hospital, Quinn added.
Agents observed “visual print of a firearm” in considering the individual’s behavior as suspicious when he was spotted, Quinn told reporters.
The suspect was not on the White House property, Quinn said.
Law enforcement have been on alert in recent days in the U.S. capital following a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner late last month over which a man has been arrested.
Quinn was asked if Monday’s incident was linked to “other recent attempts” on President Donald Trump’s life. Trump was in the White House when this incident unfolded.
“Whether or not it was directed to the president or not, I don’t know but we will find out,” Quinn said.
The Secret Service deputy director confirmed that a weapon was recovered from the suspect but did not elaborate.
The Secret Service said earlier its personnel were on the scene of the officer-involved shooting at 15th Street and Independence Avenue in Washington, D.C.
The DC Police Department was handling the probe.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh, Jasper Ward and Ismail Shakil; Editing by Caitlin Webber, Michelle Nichols and Sanjeev Miglani)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
What a rubbish story completely ignoring the travesties of Mumta and her goons who used murder, rape and violence as tools to stay in power, as well as the aspirations of Indians who supported BJP in large numbers.
You are telling lies to a global audience.
All the regional parties are headed by dictator type leader from one family who founded the party and the main national opposition party is not very different in style from BJP.
Big parties are copying one another. RSS will now focus more closely in the southern states. BJP will not have much problem in replacing congress in the southern states. It can bring some regional film stars too there to fight congress apart from its federal machinery.