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Man shot dead by Secret Service near White House after pulling weapon at checkpoint, identified as 21-year-old Nasir Best
A 21-year-old man identified as Nasir Best was shot dead by Secret Service officers near the White House after pulling a weapon from his bag at a checkpoint on 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. Best had been arrested last year after trying to get through another White House checkpoint claiming he was Jesus Christ. A bystander was also struck. President Trump was at the White House but the shooter got nowhere near him.
A man has been shot dead by Secret Service officers near the White House after pulling a weapon from his bag at a security checkpoint on 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. The suspect has been identified as 21-year-old Nasir Best, who was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Best had a documented history of incidents involving the White House. He was arrested last year after trying to get through another White House checkpoint, during which he claimed he was Jesus Christ. President Trump described him as having a violent history and a possible obsession with the country's most cherished structure.
During the incident, a bystander was also struck by gunfire. It remains unclear whether the bystander was hit by a shot from the suspect or from the officers who returned fire. The area was immediately secured and an investigation is underway to determine the full circumstances of the shooting.
President Trump had been staying at the White House over the weekend rather than travelling to his Florida home, as he was focused on negotiations over the war with Iran. Security officials confirmed the shooter got nowhere near the president, but the incident has heightened concerns about the growing security threats facing the White House.
The shooting comes just weeks after another man was charged with attempting to assassinate the president at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, and nearly two years since Trump survived being targeted at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The succession of security incidents has prompted calls for a review of protective measures around the White House complex, ABC News Australia reported.