White House Shooting Suspect Identified as 21-Year-Old Nasire Best With Reported Mental Health Issues
Officials said the suspect had prior White House access attempts and mental-health issues, and a bystander was injured in the exchange of gunfire.
- On Saturday, 21-year-old Nasire Best opened fire at a White House security checkpoint near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue after 6 p.m., pulling a revolver from his bag; Secret Service officers returned fire, fatally striking him, while a bystander was also hit and no officers were injured.
- Court documents show Best had repeatedly attempted to access White House grounds, with detention in June 2025 after blocking vehicle entry while claiming to be Jesus Christ, arrest in July for unlawful entry, and a court-issued pretrial stay-away order.
- Investigators discovered social media posts attributing claims Best was the 'real Osama bin Laden' with at least one post indicating desire to harm Trump; Best fired nearly 30 rounds and allegedly believed he was Jesus Christ, telling authorities during detention he 'wanted to get arrested.'
- The White House initiated a security lockdown lasting about 40 minutes while Secret Service agents secured the perimeter; ABC News correspondent Selina Wang captured video of the gunfire and ducking for cover, with her post viewed at least 3 million times.
- Saturday's shooting marks the third incidence of gunfire near President Trump in a month, following an April 25 assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and a May 4 shooting near the Washington Monument, amid escalating political violence reaching nearly 15,000 threats against lawmakers in 2025.
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Gunman killed near White House had been previously charged with trespassing
Evidence markers are seen on a crime scene after police responded to reports of shots fired near the White House, Saturday, May 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Evidence markers are seen on a crime scene after police responded to reports of shots fired near the White House, Saturday, May 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) The Dundalk, Maryland, man who was shot and killed near a U.S. Secret Service checkpoint Satur…
Gunman dies after exchange of fire with Secret Service outside White House
A suspect was killed after opening fire on a Secret Service checkpoint near the White House on Saturday evening. US broadcaster CBS identified the suspect as 21-year-old Nasire Best, a man reportedly known to the Secret Service who had a documented history of mental health issues. Following the incident, US President Donald Trump praised officers for their “swift and professional action” in detaining the gunman. In a post on Truth Social, Trump…
White House Chaos: Gunfire Sparks Lockdown!
A man who reportedly believed he was Jesus Christ was shot and killed by the United States Secret Service after opening fire near a White House security checkpoint — and the full picture of what happened that night is still coming into focus. Story Snapshot The United States Secret Service confirmed a shooting near White...
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