(NewsNation) — A man shot at the Secret Service outside the White House on Saturday evening as President Trump was inside before an agent returned fire and struck the suspect, sources tell NewsNation.
A second adult, a civilian, was struck during the exchange of gunfire, the sources said. Both individuals were said to be in critical condition, The Associated Press reported, citing a law enforcement source.
The incident, around 6 p.m. local time, began at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, on the White House perimeter when a man with a pistol fired three shots at a Secret Service agent, sources said.
Several gunshots were heard by journalists working outside the White House before they were escorted inside by Secret Service agents. Video showed heavily armed officers moving across the grounds.
An armed Secret Service agent reacts at the White House in Washington, DC, after gunshots were apparently heard on May 23, 2026. Police and security forces swarmed the area around the White House on the evening of May 23 after reports of shots fired, AFP journalists said. US President Donald Trump was at the White House at the time as he worked to negotiate a deal with Iran. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images) 
An armed Secret Service agent looks on at the White House in Washington, DC, after gunshots were apparently heard on May 23, 2026. Police and security forces swarmed the area around the White House on the evening of May 23 after reports of shots fired, AFP journalists said. US President Donald Trump was at the White House at the time as he worked to negotiate a deal with Iran. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images) 
An armed Secret Service agent reacts at the White House in Washington, DC, after gunshots were apparently heard on May 23, 2026. Police and security forces swarmed the area around the White House on the evening of May 23 after reports of shots fired, AFP journalists said. US President Donald Trump was at the White House at the time as he worked to negotiate a deal with Iran. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images) 
“We heard about 25 or 30 rapid what sounded like gunshots,” NewsNation reporter Chris Flanagan, who was working at the time of the incident, said. “The Secret Service, they just hurried everybody into the press briefing room, getting us in here as quickly as possible, yelling, ‘Shots fired! Shots fired! Get down! Get down!'”
The White House was temporarily placed on lockdown. A variety of law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, ATF and U.S. Marshals Service, were on the scene.
“We are aware of reports of shots fired near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW and are working to corroborate the information with personnel on the ground. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available,” a Secret Service spokesperson said on X.
The president had canceled weekend travel plans to remain at the White House. On Saturday, Trump talked with Middle Eastern leaders about a potential end to the U.S. war in Iran.
Trump was the target of a foiled assassination attempt last month at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Download our NewsNation app for 24/7 fact-based unbiased coverage.
