Key takeaways:
- Between 20 and 30 gunshots were heard near the White House around 6 p.m. on Saturday.
- The U.S. Secret Service and FBI responded to the incident and secured the area.
- President Donald Trump was at the White House during the lockdown, which lasted less than an hour.
The White House was briefly placed on lockdown Saturday evening after multiple gunshots were reported near the North Lawn. Around 6 p.m. Eastern Time, witnesses and media personnel heard between 20 and 30 shots coming from the area near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, close to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The U.S. Secret Service quickly responded, urging reporters gathered outside to move inside the press briefing room, where agents stood with guns drawn.
The lockdown lasted for less than an hour and was lifted shortly before 7 p.m. The Secret Service confirmed it was aware of reports of shots fired and was working to verify the information with personnel on the ground. FBI Director Kash Patel stated on social media that the FBI was on the scene supporting the Secret Service.
President Donald Trump was confirmed to be at the White House during the incident. Vice President JD Vance had been at the White House earlier in the day, though it is unclear if he remained during the lockdown. CBS News reporters on site described the moment they heard the gunfire and were ushered inside for safety. One reporter said they “ducked to the ground” as the shots rang out.
The U.S. Capitol Police did not immediately respond to requests for information about the incident. This security concern follows a recent breach at a Washington, D.C., hotel where a gunman entered a checkpoint near the White House Correspondents’ Dinner venue. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the gunfire near the White House.
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