Gunshots reported near White House, suspect "down"

US law enforcement agencies are responding to reports of more than 30 gunshots fired near the White House.

A suspect is “down” and was transported to George Washington Hospital, an unnamed law enforcement official told the Reuters news agency on Saturday. He did not ⁠specify the suspect’s condition ⁠or how he was brought down.

The Associated Press news agency reported that the Secret Service shot a person near the White House, and that a bystander was also shot, according to an unidentified law enforcement official.

Both people were said to be in critical condition, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the investigation.

President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time. Police cordoned off access to the White House, and National Guard troops blocked reporters from entering the area in downtown Washington, DC.

The House Republicans said Trump was safe in a post on X.

Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Washington, DC, said more than 30 shots were heard from the White House North Lawn.

“The White House is now surrounded by multiple emergency vehicles and agencies. We understand the president was in the Oval Office at the time. The shots were fired outside the White House, but the White House has not confirmed or let anyone know about the president’s condition at this time.”

Journalists who were on the North Lawn at the time said they were ordered to run and shelter in the press briefing room.

“While this has not been confirmed by the White House, bystanders and US media report a suspect approached the intersection of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue,” reported Halkett.

“There, the suspect allegedly opened fire on the Secret Service security perimeter. An agent was stationed in the area, along with six or more Secret Service vehicles, conducting identification checks.”

In a social media post, FBI Director Kash Patel said officers were responding to shots being fired and that he would “update the public as we’re able”.

Following the incident, Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, posted on X: “President Trump is working at 8 p.m. Can’t stop, won’t stop.”

The gunfire on Saturday comes nearly a month after what law enforcement authorities said was an attempted assassination of the president as he attended the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at a Washington, DC, hotel on April 25.