A man has died in hospital after opening fire on Secret Service agents and hitting a bystander near the White House, forcing the area into lockdown.Â
In a statement, the United States Secret Service said just after 6pm on Saturday, local time, an individual in the area of 17th street and Pennsylvania Avenue pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing.Â
“Secret Service returned fire, striking the suspect who was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased,” the statement read.Â
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“During the shooting one bystander was also struck by gunfire.”
US President Donald Trump was inside the building at the time and thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement in a post on Truth Social.Â
“Thank you to our great Secret Service and Law Enforcement for the swift and professional action taken this evening against a gunman near the White House, who had a violent history and possible obsession with our Country’s most cherished structure,” he wrote.Â
The suspect  pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing at the checkpoint on 17th street and Pennsylvania Avenue. (ABC News)
The suspect was identified by the Secret Service as an “emotionally disturbed person” and a “stay-away order” had been issued to the suspect previously.Â
Mr Trump said the event was one month on from the White House correspondents’ dinner shooting.
“[It] goes to show how important it is, for all future Presidents, to get, what will be, the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C. The National Security of our Country demands it!”
Video captured by ABC America showed the moment shots could be heard while a reporter delivered a live cross.Â
“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,” Selina Wang, the reporter shown in the video wrote on X.Â
“It sounded like dozens of gunshots. We were told to sprint to the press briefing room where we are holding now.”
A Secret Service officer sprints through the White House grounds after gunshots were heard. (AP: Jose Luis Magana)
The White House North Lawn was cleared by Secret Service and reporters were told to sprint into the White House Press Briefing Room.
“FBI is on the scene and supporting Secret Service responding to shots fired near White House grounds — we will update the public as we’re able,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X.Â
It comes about a month after an alleged attempted assassination of the president on April 25 as he attended the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at a Washington hotel.Â
Cole Tomas Allen remains in custody over that incident and he recently pleaded not guilty to charges.Â
