shots fired – The U.S. Secret Service said it was verifying reports of shots near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW on Saturday, May 23, as the FBI director said agents were on the scene. The incident comes less than a month after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner
The sound of gunfire near the White House grounds turned a weekend moment into a lockdown—less than a month after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner turned into chaos.
On Saturday, May 23, the U.S. Secret Service said it was aware of reports that two people had been shot near the White House. “We are aware of reports of shots fired near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW and are working to corroborate the information with personnel on the ground. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available,” the agency tweeted.
A Secret Service spokesperson later told Us Weekly that the agency was “gathering information and will have more on this incident shortly.”
The FBI also moved quickly. FBI Director Kash Patel tweeted that agents were on the scene and supporting Secret Service responding to “shots fired near White House grounds,” adding, “we will update the public as we’re able.”
The reports came as some on the ground described hearing gunfire from Washington, D.C.’s 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest. There was also speculation that the gunfire could have originated from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building side of the White House.
ABC News White House correspondent Selina Wang shared that her live report from the premises was interrupted by loud sounds of gunfire. In a separate post, she said she ducked for cover before the video cut off.
“I was in the middle of taping on my iPhone for a social video from the White House North Lawn when we heard the shots,” Wang, 33, tweeted. “It sounded like dozens of gunshots. We were told to sprint to the press briefing room where we are holding now.”
Reporters were reportedly instructed to shelter in place while a lockdown kept them inside the White House press briefing room.
The White House did not immediately provide comment; Us reached out for comment.
This latest incident landed against a backdrop of recent violence at the highest level of Washington’s political calendar. Just shy of one month earlier, on April 25, Cole Tomas Allen allegedly opened fire in the lobby of the Washington Hilton during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Allen, 31, allegedly struck a Secret Service agent in crossfire before he was apprehended. The White House later confirmed the Secret Agent was shot in his protective vest and taken to a local hospital for treatment.
At the time of the April 25 shooting. President Donald Trump. first lady Melania Trump. Vice President JD Vance and numerous other administration officials were inside the Washington Hilton ballroom and were quickly evacuated. Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk, 37, was seen being rushed from the ballroom in tears moments after the shooting. She later called the attack “another traumatic example of the evil in our country and the continued rise in political violence.”.
Kirk’s family history adds another layer to the fear surrounding these moments: her husband. conservative activist Charlie Kirk. was fatally shot at Utah Valley University in Orem. Utah. on September 10. 2025. A 22-year-old man was later charged with aggravated murder. felony discharge of a firearm. obstruction of justice and witness tampering. and he has yet to enter a plea.
After Allen’s arrest, he was charged with attempting to assassinate the president, interstate transportation of weapons and discharge of a firearm during a violent crime. Allen pleaded not guilty during a May 11 court hearing.
Now, with Saturday’s incident still being corroborated on the ground, the Secret Service said it would provide more information as it becomes available—after two separate agencies confirmed they were working the scene near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW.
U.S. Secret Service White House shots fired 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW FBI Kash Patel Washington D.C. lockdown White House Correspondents’ Dinner Cole Tomas Allen Erika Kirk