WASHINGTON DC—On May 23, a 21-year-old Maryland man, later identified as Nasire Best, stood just outside the perimeter of The White House with a gun and started shooting. The U.S. Secret Service, Chief of Communications, Anthony Guglielmi notified the public about the shooting stating:
“Shortly after 6:00 p.m. Saturday, an individual in the area of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue 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…The incident remains under investigation, and additional information will be released as it becomes available.”
There were no officers injured and The President was inside at the time of the incident.
This is not the first altercation Best had with Secret Service agents. He had interactions with agents on two separate occasions in 2025 and he has history of mental health issues. In July 2025, Best was not jailed for either of those altercations. He was committed to a psychiatric facility for a mental health evaluation.
The FBI, ATF, and the Metropolitan Police Department are assisting with the investigation.
