US Secret Service Shoots Armed Suspect Near White House

On May 26 (local time), the US Secret Service announced that it had shot an armed suspect near the White House, wounding the individual and temporarily locking down the area. The incident is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police of Washington, DC.

According to Deputy Secret Service Director Matthew Quinn, plainclothes officers observed a man behaving suspiciously and suspected he was carrying a firearm. After a period of surveillance, the Secret Service requested reinforcements. When uniformed agents arrived, the suspect fled and opened fire. The Secret Service returned fire, wounding the suspect, who was taken to a hospital. A firearm was recovered from the suspect.

During the exchange of gunfire, a child was hit by a bullet, but the wound is not life-threatening. Mr. Quinn stated that investigators believe the child was struck by a round from the suspect, though it remains unclear who fired the shot.

Mr. Quinn emphasized that the Secret Service will investigate whether the suspect targeted President Donald Trump. At the same time, the agency stated there is no evidence that the individual targeted the motorcade of Vice President JD Vance, which had passed through the area shortly before the incident.

The shooting occurred less than a month after an assassination attempt on President Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. On April 25, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump had to evacuate from the event after a gunman tried to assassinate the president. This was the third time Trump has been targeted since 2024.

The suspect in that case, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was arrested and charged with attempted assassination of the president, discharging a firearm during a violent crime, and illegally transporting weapons and ammunition across state lines. Prosecutors also alleged that Allen shot a Secret Service agent who was wearing a bulletproof vest. Allen has not entered a plea.