U.S. Secret Service agents scrambled to secure the White House after at least 20 gunshots were reportedly heard outside the campus Saturday evening.
Reporters were rushed into the White House Press Briefing Room, NBC reporter Julie Tsirkin posted on X. ABC News reporter Selina Wang posted video showing her diving to the ground at the apparent sound of the gunshots, and said she’d been moved to the White House press briefing room by the Secret Service.
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
The gunshots reportedly took place at an intersection to the immediate west of the campus — Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street, Northwest — with the gunman and a civilian down, according to Fox News reporter Chad Pergram. The White House is on lockdown, multiple outlets reported.
“We are aware of reports of shots fired near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW and are working to corroborate the information with personnel on the ground,” the Secret Service posted on X.
President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other senior administration officials were reported to have been present inside the White House earlier for an afternoon conference call with numerous Middle Eastern leaders to discuss a diplomatic solution to the military conflict with Iran. Vance reportedly boarded Air Force Two and departed Washington before the incident.
The White House and Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation. The Secret Service referred the DCNF to their initial X post on the incident.
“FBI is on the scene and supporting Secret Service responding to shots fired near White House grounds – we will update the public as we’re able,” FBI Director Kash Patel posted to X.
President Donald Trump has survived multiple serious assassination attempts since he first ran for the presidency in 2015.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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