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May 24, 2026 / 5:50 PM EDT
/ CBS News
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The suspect in Saturday's shooting outside the White House was arrested last year after trying to gain access to the White House, and he may have had mental health issues, according to law enforcement sources and court documents.Sources identified the 21-year-old alleged gunman as Nasire Best of Dundalk, Maryland, and documents obtained by CBS News show Best previously blocked a White House entry lane in June 2025, telling agents he was Jesus Christ and wanted to be arrested. Best was sent for a mental evaluation and again tried to access the White House area in July 2025.Best was then arrested by Secret Service agents and charged with unlawfully entering a federally controlled property in Washington. He was ordered by a judge to stay away, according to court documents.D.C. Superior Court records show Best was released after an arraignment on the unlawful entry charge, but he failed to appear for an Aug. 7, 2025, status hearing, prompting a no-bond, D.C.-only bench warrant that authorizes law enforcement to arrest him.Best reappeared outside the White House near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW on Saturday, pulling a revolver from a messenger bag and began firing at a U.S. Secret Service checkpoint, law enforcement sources told CBS News.
