Gunman killed by US Secret Service after opening fire near White House
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
A gunman opened fire near the White House on Saturday evening, with US Secret Service agents killing the assailant in a shoot-out during which a bystander was also struck, authorities said. President Donald Trump was in the White House at the time — on a day when he was working to negotiate a deal with Iran — but was not impacted by the incident, Secret Service communications chief Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement. The confrontation took place just after 6pm (3am PKT) when a man near the White House security perimeter “pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing”. “Secret Service Police returned fire striking the suspect who was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. During the shooting one bystander was also struck by gunfire,” Guglielmi said, without giving details on the bystander’s condition. Multiple US media identified the suspect as Nasire Best, 21, of Maryland, reporting that Best had a history of mental health concerns and had multiple prior interactions with Secret Service members. No Secret Service officers were hurt. Police and security forces swarmed the scene, cordoning off access as National Guard troops blocked an AFP reporter from entering the area in downtown Washington. The shooting occurred near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, adjacent to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, a massive government complex located directly next to the White House compound and connected to the nerve centre of the American presidency. According to the United States Secret Service, the suspect approached a Secret Service security checkpoint carrying a weapon in a bag before opening fire toward officers stationed inside a security booth. Agents immediately returned fire, critically wounding the attacker, who was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. Law enforcement sources said between 15 and 30 shots may have been fired during the incident. Journalists gathered on the White House North Lawn reported hearing rapid gunf