Gunshots were reported outside the White House on Saturday evening of May 23, 2026, prompting an immediate lockdown while President Donald Trump was inside amid ongoing Iran peace negotiations.
The incident happened just after 6 p.m. ET, when multiple journalists stationed on the North Lawn suddenly heard a rapid firing of shots ring out.
NBC News White House reporter Julie Tsirkin was among the first to break the news on social media,.
Outside the press briefing doors right now…
USSS officers, gun drawn, told us to run inside
White House now on lockdown pic.twitter.com/CdgKkKoSZu
— Julie Tsirkin (@news_jul) May 23, 2026
ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Selina Wang was recording on her iPhone when the shots rang out.
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
“Many gunshots were heard when we were at the White House,” Wang said afterward.
Chris Flanagan of DCNewsNow estimated roughly 30 shots were fired.
Shots fired at the white house
I heard about 30 shots
Secret service rushed us into press briefing room @NewsNation @DCNewsNow pic.twitter.com/j0f0eJH3nF— Chris Flanagan (@ChrisFlanaganTV) May 23, 2026
This comes on the heels of a string of security incidents. Last month, a gunman stormed the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25, forcing the evacuation of Trump, the First Lady, Vice President JD Vance, and cabinet members, before being subdued by Secret Service agents.
Fox News congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reported that the gunman approached the White House and opened fire in the direction of the complex before the United States Secret Service shot him.
According to Pergram, the incident unfolded near “Gate 17” on the west side of the White House, near 14th Street. He explained that the suspect “brandished some sort of a pistol” and “then fired toward the White House three times.”
Secret Service agents immediately returned fire. “They apparently took the gunman down,” Pergram reported, though authorities had not yet confirmed the suspect’s condition. He also emphasized that “he never got inside the perimeter of the White House.”
The exchange of gunfire also reportedly injured a bystander. “Sometime in this gunfire exchange, a civilian on the street was struck by this gunfire, and we do not know the condition of that person right now,” Pergram said.
“This is clearly someone who came up and was firing at the direction of the White House,” Pergram said. “People thought it might have been motorcycles backfiring or something like that,” he said, before adding, “But this is clearly someone who came up and was firing at the direction of the White House.”
🚨🇺🇸 Shooter never breached the perimeter.
Fired a few shots with a pistol → Secret Service lit him up immediately and took him down fast.
One civilian was unfortunately hit
Source: Fox News https://t.co/z4cTV8nQx7 pic.twitter.com/F4jucSldIP
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 23, 2026
This story is developing.
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