The incident occurred shortly after 6:00 pm local time when the suspect reportedly pulled a firearm from a bag and began shooting close to the heavily guarded White House grounds.
A gunman was shot dead by United States Secret Service agents on Saturday evening after opening fire near the White House security perimeter in Washington, DC, triggering panic around the presidential complex and forcing journalists and tourists to flee for safety.
The incident occurred shortly after 6:00 pm local time when the suspect reportedly pulled a firearm from a bag and began shooting close to the heavily guarded White House grounds.
According to Secret Service communications chief Anthony Guglielmi, agents immediately returned fire, killing the suspect during the exchange.
"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 in a statement.
