Why It Matters
Saturday’s shooting near the White House marks the third firearms incident in the vicinity of President Donald Trump within a single month, raising fresh questions about security protocols around the executive mansion and the handling of individuals with prior documented threats to the complex.
What Happened
A 21-year-old man identified as Nasire Best opened fire shortly after 6 p.m. EDT on Saturday, May 23, near the intersection of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue — just outside a White House security checkpoint. Secret Service officers returned fire, striking Best, who was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
A bystander was also wounded in the incident. Authorities said it remained unclear whether that person was struck by Best’s gunfire or by rounds fired by officers. No Secret Service personnel were injured. President Trump, who was at the White House at the time, was not harmed. He had been scheduled to spend the weekend at his New Jersey golf club but changed plans on Friday to remain in Washington.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed agency personnel were at the scene and said the public would be updated as information became available.
Journalists stationed at the White House reported hearing a rapid series of gunshots Saturday evening and were directed to shelter inside the press briefing room. Dramatic video circulated widely on social media showing reporters ducking for cover as gunfire rang out near the media tents along the White House driveway.
Best’s Prior Record at the White House
District of Columbia court records show Best was arrested in July 2025 after attempting to enter a separate White House checkpoint without authorization. He reportedly ignored officers’ commands to stop and claimed to be Jesus Christ, saying he wanted to be arrested. A pretrial stay-away order was issued following an initial hearing.
A bench warrant was later issued in August 2025 after Best was found in noncompliance with that order, though he subsequently appeared at a follow-up hearing. It was not immediately clear how his legal case was resolved before Saturday’s shooting.
By the Numbers
- 3 — firearms incidents near the president in the past month
- 1 — bystander wounded Saturday; a separate teenage bystander was also wounded in a May 4 incident near the Washington Monument
- 21 — age of Saturday’s suspect, Nasire Best
- 3 million+ — views on social media video of a journalist ducking for cover during the shooting, as of Saturday evening
- July 2025 — date of Best’s prior arrest at a White House checkpoint
Zoom Out
Saturday’s shooting is the latest in a series of alarming security incidents around the White House. On April 25, a man identified as Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, allegedly ran through a security checkpoint at the hotel hosting the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer. Allen has since pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted assassination of the president.
Then, on May 4, Michael Marx, 45, of Midland, Texas, was charged after allegedly firing at officers near the Washington Monument, several blocks from the White House. A teenage bystander was wounded in that episode as well.
The shooting location Saturday is also near the site where a gunman ambushed two members of the West Virginia National Guard last November, killing U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically wounding Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe. Rahmanullah Lakanwal has been charged in connection with that attack.
The cluster of incidents comes as federal law enforcement statistics have shown broader shifts in crime patterns. Preliminary FBI data indicates a sharp drop in violent crime nationally, though targeted attacks against government personnel and facilities present a distinct security challenge separate from general crime trends.
What’s Next
Federal authorities are conducting an active investigation into Saturday’s shooting. The Secret Service and FBI are expected to review security protocols around the White House perimeter in light of the three incidents over the past month. Questions about how Best was able to return to the area following his 2025 arrest and subsequent court orders are likely to be central to that review.