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Several videos captured the chaotic moments as reporters reacted to rapid gunfire near the White House complex.
Members of the media stand outside the area where a shooting occured earlier at 18th and Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House in Washington, DC, on May 23, 2026. (AFP)
Panic unfolded outside the White House on Saturday evening after gunfire suddenly erupted near a security checkpoint, forcing journalists reporting live from the North Lawn to duck for cover and run to safety.
Several dramatic videos from the scene quickly went viral on social media, capturing the chaotic moments as reporters reacted to the sound of rapid gunfire near the White House complex.
One widely shared clip showed ABC News correspondent Selina Wang and other journalists scrambling for safety after hearing what witnesses described as between 15 and 30 gunshots.
Wang later said she had been filming a social media segment from the White House North Lawn when the shooting began.
“It sounded like dozens of gunshots. We were told to sprint to the press briefing room,” she wrote in a post on X.
I was in the middle of taping on my iPhone for a social video from the White House North Lawn when we heard the shots. It sounded like dozens of gunshots. We were told to sprint to the press briefing room where we are holding now. pic.twitter.com/iqdQwh4soq— Selina Wang (@selinawangtv) May 23, 2026
Another viral video showed a visibly startled reporter standing exposed near the media area, repeatedly asking, “What is that?” as the sound of gunfire echoed nearby while several others immediately ducked behind barriers and equipment for protection.
According to the US Secret Service, agents opened fire on a man after he approached a checkpoint outside the White House and allegedly began shooting at officers. Law enforcement sources identified the suspect as 21-year-old Nasire Best.
Authorities said Best was killed during the exchange of fire, while another bystander was also struck by gunfire. The condition of the injured bystander has not yet been officially disclosed.
Court records reviewed by US media outlets indicate Best had previous encounters with law enforcement and the Secret Service. In one earlier incident, he was reportedly involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital. In another, local police arrested him after he allegedly claimed “he was Jesus Christ.”
Investigators are also examining Best’s social media activity, which reportedly included posts threatening violence against President Donald Trump and another message in which he wrote, “I’m actually the son of God.”
President Trump was inside the White House at the time of the shooting and was not harmed, officials confirmed.
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
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