A 21-year-old man has been named as the suspected gunman who approached a White House security check point and sprayed bullets at officer before he was shot dead09:41, 24 May 2026A gunman shot dead near the White House after pulling out a revolver and opening fire believed he was Jesus Christ, reports said.‌The US Secret Service said a man approached a White House security checkpoint before opening fire, on Saturday night. The suspected gunman was named as Nasire Best, 21, from Maryland. US officials said the man "pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing at posted officers" at around 6pm, before he was hit by officers returning fire.‌The 21-year-old was transported to an area hospital where he later died, according to the Secret Service. A bystander was shot in the horror incident but it was unclear whether they were hit by a bullet from the gunman or officers.‌READ MORE: White House shooting live: Gunman shot dead and named as bystander hospitalisedREAD MORE: TV cameras capture moment gunshots heard at White House as reporters take coverDonald Trump, who was in the White House at the time but not directly affected, took to Truth Social after the attack and thanked law enforcement and the Secret Service for their "swift and professional action".The White House went into lockdown for an hour after shots were heard being fired. The suspect was named by a law enforcement official.‌'Violent history'Trump, in his Truth Social post, claimed the gunman had a "violent history and possible obsession with our Country's most cherished structure".Sources claimed Best was "troubled" and was known to the Secret Service for often loitering around official checkpoints and entry points, according to the New York Post. The man had reportedly been living in Washington DC for 18 months, according to CBS.‌'Claimed he was Jesus Christ'Best was reportedly arrested for a separate incident after he held up traffic near the White House on June 26, 2025, and was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital following this incident, according to CNN.He was detained again for unlawful entry weeks later, on July 10 after he walked through an exit turnstile to pass through a restricted White House pedestrian control post. The 21-year-old then made bizarre statements after he was arrested by cops and the Secret Service.‌A court record said: "[Best] claimed he was Jesus Christ and that he wanted to get arrested." A post on Best's social media accounts appeared to threaten Trump while in another he wrote: "I'm actually the son of God.Journalists working at the White House on Saturday reported hearing a series of gun shots and were told to seek shelter inside the press briefing room. In a post shared on X, the senior White House correspondent for ABC News Selina Wang shared dramatic video of the moment she heard what "sounded like dozens of gunshots" and ducked for cover.Article continues belowThe terrifying footage showed Wang speaking to the TV camera as the sounds of gunfire are heard in the background. She appeared to panic and ducked down in the media tent.The scene is near where a gunman ambushed two members of the West Virginia National Guard last November. US Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her wounds. Andrew Wolfe, then 24, was critically wounded. Rahmanullah Lakanwal has been charged in that incident.