Gunshots near – Shots heard near the White House Saturday afternoon forced reporters into the briefing room on lockdown, with a live broadcast capturing the moment. Two people were reported shot and wounded after an encounter with a Secret Service agent near the White House,
Gunshots outside the White House set off a frantic scramble inside the press area Saturday afternoon, with reporters suddenly rushing toward the White House Briefing Room as what sounded like “dozens of shots” rang out.
The chaos unfolded while Selina Wang, a reporter for ABC News, was delivering a live report. Wang shared a clip posted from the White House North Lawn. describing the sound as dozens of gunshots as she was recording on her iPhone for a social video. In the video. she powers through the beginning of her report before stopping and jumping to the ground as the situation turns urgent.
Soon after, reporters were instructed to go to the White House Briefing Room, where they were placed on lockdown. The lockdown was lifted shortly after the gunshots were heard.
The situation drew immediate attention from social posts as well. Another reporter, NBC News Correspondent Julie Tsirkin, shared photos from inside the briefing room during the lockdown. Those images showed a U.S. Secret Service agent standing guard outside the briefing room doors with a gun drawn.
Hours later, the picture became clearer on the question of who was hit. CNN reported that two people were shot and wounded following an encounter with a Secret Service agent near the White House.
The Secret Service also released a statement saying it is looking into the incident and believes it occurred on a street adjacent to the White House, not on White House grounds.
There’s still uncertainty in the way the initial moments unfolded. Wang and others on scene said they did not know whether the gunshots were fired at the White House or simply nearby. Even so. the fact that the lockdown was lifted quickly was seen as a sign that the immediate threat was not intensifying.
President Donald Trump was inside the White House as negotiations with Iran to end the war there continue. No injuries related to the White House itself have been reported beyond the two people CNN said were shot and wounded.
At this stage, the story remains developing, with authorities continuing to investigate what happened and where the gunfire originated.
White House gunshots Secret Service Selina Wang Julie Tsirkin lockdown Donald Trump Iran negotiations viral video press briefing