Security alert raised around the White House after a series of gunshots.
On the evening of May 23 (local time), US police and security forces were heavily deployed around the White House following reports of multiple loud gunshots. The incident occurred while President Donald Trump was working inside the building.
According to local officials, immediately after reports of the explosions emerged, police quickly sealed off all access to the White House. The National Guard was also deployed to establish a security cordon, preventing reporters and members of the public from accessing the downtown area of Washington, D.C.
At the time of the incident, US President Donald Trump was at the White House working on agreements related to Iran.
On social media platform X, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed: "The FBI is on the scene and coordinating with the Secret Service in responding to the shooting near the White House grounds."
Meanwhile, in a message sent to AFP, a spokesperson for the US Secret Service said the agency was still urgently gathering and verifying information about the incident.
Many witnesses near the scene described the moment of panic when the gunfire erupted. Reid Adrian, a Canadian tourist, told AFP: "We heard about 20 to 25 explosions. At first it sounded like fireworks, but it was actually gunfire. Immediately afterwards, people started to panic and run away."
Journalists working in the North Lawn area of the White House said they received orders to evacuate immediately and seek safe shelter in the press briefing room.
ABC News reporter Selina Wang was filming a video to post on social media when the shooting suddenly occurred. Her video clearly captured the sound of the gunfire as she had to duck to avoid it. "It sounded like dozens of shots in quick succession," the reporter shared on X.
According to AFP, President Trump has been the target of three assassination attempts. The most recent incident occurred on April 25th, when an armed man attempted to storm a security checkpoint near the ballroom where he was attending a media gala.
