White House Checkpoint Gunman Had Prior Stay-Away Order Before Fatal Shooting
A gunman who opened fire near a White House security checkpoint Saturday evening was fatally shot by Secret Service officers, according to federal officials, in an incident that also left a bystander wounded and briefly locked down the White House area.
The Secret Service said the man approached the checkpoint near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue shortly after 6 p.m., removed a weapon from his bag and began firing at posted officers. Officers returned fire and struck the suspect, who later died at a hospital. No Secret Service personnel were injured. President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time and was not impacted, officials said.
AP identified the suspect as 21-year-old Nasire Best, citing a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly. District of Columbia court records cited by AP say Best had been arrested in July 2025 after attempting to enter a different White House checkpoint without authorization, ignoring commands to stop and claiming he wanted to be arrested. A judge later issued a pretrial stay-away order, and AP reported that a bench warrant followed after a notice of noncompliance.
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The Guardian, citing a July 2025 court filing, reported that Best had been known to the Secret Service for walking around the White House complex and asking how to gain access at multiple entry points.
Federal investigators have not clarified whether the wounded bystander was hit by the suspect’s bullets or by officers’ return fire. The FBI is assisting the Secret Service and local police.
The shooting also fits into a broader security timeline. AP reported it was the third gunfire incident near Trump in the past month, following incidents tied to the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner and the Washington Monument area.
The immediate criminal threat ended when the suspect died. The continuing public question is how prior warning signs, a court stay-away order and checkpoint security intersected before gunfire reached one of the country’s most protected areas.
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