A gunman is dead and a civilian bystander remains in critical condition after a high-volume exchange of gunfire erupted directly outside a United States Secret Service security checkpoint flanking the White House complex, CNN reported. The perimeter security breach unfolded shortly after 6:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, May 23, at the intersection of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, situated immediately adjacent to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Shooting near the White House The sudden engagement triggered an immediate 40 minutes tactical lockdown of the executive mansion, forcing White House correspondents and technical crews broadcasting live from the North Lawn to scramble for safety inside the press briefing room as tactical units armed with automatic rifles deployed across the grounds. According to an official statement released by Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi, the suspect actively initiated the armed confrontation. Preliminary tracking and surveillance footage indicate that the individual walked up to the exterior security booth, pulled a revolver out of a personal bag, and fired three direct shots toward the on-duty Uniformed Division officers stationed inside the checkpoint. Secret Service police officers reacted within seconds, drawing their service weapons and returning a rapid volley of defensive fire that effectively neutralized the attacker. Responding medical teams treated the wounded gunman at the scene before transferring him to George Washington University Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. Federal investigators quickly identified the deceased shooter as 21-year-old Nasire Best, an individual who had been residing in Washington, D.C., for the past 18 months.