The White House shooting suspect, 21-year-old Nasire Best, was reported to have made claims about being Jesus Christ in earlier encounters with police and mental health authorities—months before he was killed in a skirmish with the Secret Service.
Shots near a Secret Service checkpoint outside the White House erupted around 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, and a bystander was struck and rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
The Secret Service said the President was in the White House during the incident, but no protectees or operations were impacted. Secret Service Police returned fire and struck the suspect, who was transported to an area hospital and pronounced deceased.
That suspect was identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best, whose case included multiple documented mental health issues. The alleged claims surfaced again in a police run-in months earlier: Best allegedly told others he was Jesus Christ.
CNN reported that Best had a history involving arrests and mental health intervention. He was allegedly once arrested while claiming “he was Jesus Christ” and was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital on another occasion for obstructing a vehicle entry near the White House in July 2025. One of the posts attributed to him also included: “I’m actually the son of God.”.
The reporting also said Best previously threatened the life of President Donald Trump and had multiple encounters with police near the White House.
An affidavit from 2025 indicated Best was “known to the Secret Service,” citing his alleged habit of “walking around the White House complex inquiring how to gain access at various entry points.”
During the Saturday shooting, Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi described the sequence of events: “Shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday. an individual in the area of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing.” He added that Secret Service Police returned fire. no injuries were sustained by officers. and that one bystander was also struck by gunfire.
As the incident unfolded. reporters on the premises were rushed from the Pebble Beach media location into the White House briefing room and told to shelter in place for around 40 minutes. ABC News White House correspondent Selina Wang later tweeted that she was taping a social video from the White House North Lawn when the shots began. saying it sounded like dozens of gunshots and that they were told to sprint to the press briefing room.
The Saturday shooting came less than one month after gunshots in the lobby of the Washington Hilton at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. when President Donald Trump. first lady Melania Trump. and Vice President JD Vance were in attendance. During that earlier incident, the Trumps and other officials were evacuated from the Hilton. A Secret Service agent was struck in his protective vest and hospitalized. and shooting suspect Cole Tomas Allen was arrested and later charged with attempting to assassinate the president. interstate transportation of weapons. and discharge of a firearm during a violent crime. Allen pleaded not guilty earlier this month.
For comment, Us Weekly reached out to the Secret Service.
White House shooting Nasire Best Secret Service Jesus Christ claim mental health issues Anthony Guglielmi Selina Wang 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue Donald Trump