Armed Man Shot by Secret Service Agent, White House Temporarily Locked Down

The shooting occurred near the National Mall shortly after the motorcade carrying Vice President JD Vance passed through the area.

Deputy Director of the USSS Matthew Quinn said he does not believe the vice president was the intended target. He said he could not speculate whether it was related to the recent assassination attempt on President Donald Trump.

“I will not guess about that,” he said, as reported by AFP on Tuesday (5/5/2026).

“Whether it was aimed at the president or not, I don’t know, but we will find out,” he continued.

Quinn said the shooting occurred after Secret Service agents identified a “suspicious individual” who appeared to have a firearm.

The man fled on foot after being approached by officers. The man then drew his weapon and fired shots.

Secret Service agents returned fire and wounded the suspect. The perpetrator was then taken to hospital. His condition is not yet known for certain.

Quinn said an eyewitness, a teenager, sustained minor injuries.

This incident happened just over a week after an armed man attempted to breach security at a hotel in Washington where Trump was attending an event.

The perpetrator was identified as Cole Allen, 31 years old. He has been charged with attempted murder of the president.