An armed man was killed Saturday night after opening fire at a checkpoint near the White House in Washington, according to the U.S. Secret Service. The incident prompted a major security response in the center of the nation's capital.
According to authorities, the suspect approached the checkpoint at the intersection of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, pulled a gun from his bag, and fired at the officers present. The officers immediately returned fire, fatally wounding the assailant.
The suspect was taken to the hospital after the exchange of gunfire and died shortly afterward, the Secret Service said in a statement. No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.
A passerby was shot. Authorities have not specified the severity of his injuries and do not yet know whether he was hit by the suspect's initial shots or during the police return fire.
According to a law enforcement official quoted by Reuters, the man suffered from emotional problems and was already subject to a restraining order. His identity was not immediately released.
The Chairperson Donald Trump was at the White House at the time of the shooting, the Secret Service said. The incident comes less than a month after another gun attack at a hotel hosting the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, which prompted the emergency evacuation of several political leaders.
This latest shooting has reignited concerns about security in the immediate vicinity of the US presidential palace, one of the most heavily guarded areas in the world.
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