President Donald Trump spoke out after a gunman identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best was shot and killed by U.S. Secret Service officers following a burst of gunfire near a White House security checkpoint Saturday evening. The shooting happened near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, one of the secured access points around the White House complex, while Trump was inside the executive mansion. According to the Secret Service, Best approached the checkpoint, pulled a weapon from a bag, and began firing before officers returned fire. He was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. A bystander was also struck during the exchange, though officials have not yet publicly confirmed whether that person was hit by the suspect’s gunfire or by return fire from law enforcement. (AP News)
Trump later praised the Secret Service response and described Best as someone who may have had a “possible obsession” with the White House, according to reporting from the New York Post. Trump also pointed to Best’s prior encounters near the executive mansion and said the incident showed why White House security remains a major concern. The lockdown unfolded quickly, with journalists inside the White House complex told to shelter in place as federal law enforcement flooded the area. FBI agents also joined the investigation as officials worked to determine Best’s motive and whether he specifically intended to target Trump or the White House itself. (New York Post)
Nasire Best had reportedly been on law enforcement’s radar before Saturday’s shooting. Court records and law enforcement reporting indicate he had previously attempted an unauthorized entry at a different White House checkpoint in July 2025. Reports also say Best had claimed to be Jesus Christ during a prior White House-related encounter, and some outlets reported that he had a court order requiring him to stay away from the executive mansion. CNN-affiliated reporting also noted that social media believed to belong to Best included posts suggesting mental health concerns, including one where he allegedly wrote that he was “the son of God,” as well as another post that appeared to threaten violence against Trump. (KSL)
The incident has become one of the biggest breaking political and security stories of the week because it marks another violent episode near the president in a short period of time. The AP reported that Saturday’s shooting was the third gunfire-related incident near Trump within a month, following a shooting connected to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April and another confrontation near the Washington Monument earlier in May. Those back-to-back incidents have intensified national debate over presidential security, Secret Service readiness, mental health warning signs, and the safety perimeter around the White House. (AP News)
For now, investigators have not released a full public timeline of Best’s movements before the shooting or a final motive. What is known is that Trump was not injured, the White House was placed on lockdown, Best was killed after allegedly opening fire near a checkpoint, and a bystander was wounded. As the FBI and Secret Service continue reviewing evidence, Nasire Best’s prior White House interactions are likely to become a central focus in understanding how Saturday’s deadly confrontation unfolded.
