White House On Lockdown As Dozens Of Gunshots Fired; Journalists Ushered To Press Briefing Room
Deadline
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The White House lawn and presidential residence itself was locked down after dozens of apparent gunshots rang out near the area, as reported by multiple publications and captured in video footage. The incident occurred around 6 p.m. ET. FBI director Kash Patel tweeted that federal authorities are on the scene “supporting Secret Service responding to shots fired near White House grounds” and that updates will be provided as soon as possible. “We are aware of reports of shots fired near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW and are working to corroborate the information with personnel on the ground,” read a tweet from the U.S. Secret Service Office of Communications. “Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.” Numerous journalists were already present as part of a press pool, as president Donald Trump had just hours earlier posted on social media from the Oval Office that a peace agreement to end the war in Iran was “largely negotiated.” Watch on Deadline Upward of 20 to 30 shots were fired, according to NBC News correspondent Julie Tsirkin. “Secret service told those of us gathered on the north lawn to run inside the press briefing room,” she wrote. Meanwhile, ABC News correspondent Selena Wang posted that she had been in the middle of taping a social video when she and her crew were interrupted by the noise of gunfire, immediately ducking down. “We were told to sprint to the press briefing room where we are holding now,” she said. Secret Service agents were spotted on the grounds with their weapons drawn, telling reporters to “get down” before being ushered into the West Wing press briefing room, per Fox News. The outlet also said correspondents overheard shots near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. According to CNN, the lockdown was lifted after 45 minutes. However, two people were shot in an encounter with the Secret Service, per a law enforcement official, though it is unclear what condition they are in. The shooting comes less than a month after gunshots rang out amid the White House Correspondents Dinner. Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and VP JD Vance were among those hustled out of the Washington Hilton ballroom under orders from the Secret Service. The fast-moving scene was captured live on C-SPAN cameras. Deadline’s Ted Johnson, who was inside, said, “I heard what sounded like four shots, and it seemed to come from the hall just outside the ballroom near my table.” The suspect in the April 25 shooting, Cole Tomas Allen, recently plead not guilty after being charged with attempting to assassinate the POTUS. More to come...
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