White House on lockdown, journalists evacuated over fresh shooting incident ahead Trump’s press conference

A shooting at 15th Street and Independence Avenue in Washington, D.C., triggered an immediate lockdown of the White House on Monday.

Journalists at the scene reported that the shooting happened just before President Donald Trump’s press conference.

Susan Crabtree, a journalist at RealClearPolitics, said secret service uniformed division officers shot a man who they thought might have a gun at the White House before the press conference.

“When the @SecretService officers confronted the man, it went sideways, and they ended up shooting him,” Crabtree wrote on X.

The US secret service confirmed that the shooting involved an officer.

“One individual was shot by law enforcement; their condition is currently unknown. Please avoid the area as emergency crews are responding,” the secret service said in a statement.

In a separate post, Megan Cassell, CNBC photojournalist, said the secret service evacuated journalists from their camera positions.

“We’re now gathering in the briefing room. No indication as to what’s going on,” Cassell said. She shared a photo of people huddled together.

Alan Fisher, Al Jazeera reporter, later noted that the alert had been lifted, adding that journalists were herded back into the briefing room.

Details and motives of the suspect have yet to be made public by authorities.

The incident comes barely two weeks after a gunman tried to assassinate Trump at the White House Correspondents’ dinner.

Cole Tomas Allen, the 31-year-old suspected gunman, has been charged with terrorism offences.