New information is coming to light regarding the profile of the perpetrator who opened fire against police officers at a checkpoint near the White House in Washington, before being killed by gunfire from Secret Service members. Donald Trump, target of three alleged assassination attempts in the past two years, was inside the presidential building when the gunfight erupted; he had canceled scheduled movements due to the conflict with Iran. The incident did not affect him, Secret Service spokesperson Andy Guglielmi assured in the official statement.
White House: Timeline of the shooting
A few minutes after 6:00 PM (local time; 1:00 AM Greece time), a man near the security perimeter of the historic presidential building “pulled a weapon from a bag and opened fire,” Guglielmi reported. “Secret Service officers returned fire and struck the suspect, who was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. During the exchange of gunfire, a passerby was also struck by bullets,” he continued, without providing details about the latter’s condition. No agents were injured, the spokesperson confirmed.
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
Who is the young perpetrator
The suspect was named Nazir Best and was 21 years old. The young man from Maryland, near Washington, had a history of psychiatric problems and was known to the Secret Service, according to CNN.
He had attempted the previous day to infiltrate the White House grounds, telling guards he was “Jesus Christ” and wanted to be arrested, ABC sources said. He had done the same in another attempt to enter the White House a year earlier. Reed Adrian, a Canadian tourist, told the French Press Agency he was in that area of the American capital when “we heard 20 to 25 gunshots that sounded like fireworks, but they were gunshots, and everyone started running.”
Trump: The perpetrator was obsessed with the building
In his post, Donald Trump stated that the perpetrator was obsessed with the White House and that it is imperative to create a safer space for all future US presidents. “We thank the excellent Secret Service and Law Enforcement Authorities for the swift and professional action they took tonight against an armed individual near the White House, who had a violent past and possible obsession with our country’s most beloved building.
The gunman is dead after an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents near the White House gates. This event comes a month after the armed attack at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and shows how important it is for all future presidents to acquire what will be the safest space of its kind ever built in Washington. Our country’s National Security demands it!”
Police immediately blocked access to the presidency. National Guard military personnel prevented an AFP journalist from entering the area. Journalists on the north lawn reported via X that they were ordered to run for cover in the presidential press room. ABC News correspondent Selina Wang was preparing to record a video for social media when the gunshots began. She captured the gunshots on her phone while lying on the ground, as shown in the video she posted on X. “It sounded like dozens of gunshots,” she noted.
Third attempt against Trump
FBI Director Kash Patel, a Trump loyalist, confirmed the incident: “The FBI is on scene and supporting the Secret Service,” he reported via X. The 79-year-old American president has been the target of three alleged assassination attempts. The most recent was recorded on April 25, when a gunman tried to run past a security checkpoint outside the hotel ballroom where Trump, along with his wife and top administration officials, had gone to attend the annual reception hosted by the White House Correspondents’ Association.
In July 2024, while campaigning, then-presidential candidate Trump was targeted during a speech in Butler, Pennsylvania, by a young gunman who killed an attendee and lightly wounded the Republican – hitting him with debris that grazed his ear – before being killed by a sniper. Months later, another man was arrested at the perimeter of the tycoon’s golf course in West Palm Beach, where he had gone to play a round.
“Thank God, President Trump is safe,” the Republican caucus in the House of Representatives reported via X, expressing “endless gratitude” to the Secret Service and the wish that “political violence stops” in the country.
