A man was taken into custody Monday afternoon after shots were fired near the north fence of the White House, according to the U.S. Secret Service.
Uniformed Division officers responded to a report of a person armed with a firearm at approximately 2:15 p.m. at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. During the encounter, a Secret Service officer discharged their service weapon, striking the individual, a spokesperson for the agency said.
The suspect was transported to a local hospital with injuries described by officials as serious. No Secret Service personnel or White House staff members were injured in the incident.
The White House was briefly placed on lockdown. President Biden was inside the building at the time but was not harmed, a White House official said. The lockdown was lifted after approximately 45 minutes once the scene was determined to be secure.
Authorities recovered a firearm at the scene, according to the Metropolitan Police Department, which is assisting in the investigation.
Pedestrian traffic on Pennsylvania Avenue and Lafayette Park remains restricted. Local roads including 15th and 17th Streets were closed to vehicle traffic as investigators processed the area.
The shooting will be reviewed internally, the Secret Service said. The identity of the suspect has not been released pending notification of kin.
In a brief statement, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said there is no ongoing threat to the public.
The FBI has been notified and is coordinating with local and federal law enforcement. Additional details regarding a motive or the number of shots fired have not been confirmed by investigators.
