President Trump was suddenly escorted out of the White House briefing room by a Secret Service agent as he was beginning a coronavirus briefing Monday afternoon. He returned minutes later, the AP reports, saying there was a shooting outside the White House. The situation was "under control," he said. "There was an actual shooting," Trump said, "and somebody’s been taken to the hospital.” The president said the shots were fired by law enforcement, adding that he believed the individual who was shot was armed. "It was the suspect who was shot," Trump said. The agent escorted him to the Oval Office, the president said. The White House was placed on lockdown following the incident.
The shooting took place near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue just blocks from the White House, according to two sources with knowledge of the situation who were not authorized to speak publicly about it. Law enforcement officials did not know of any motive. The suspect was transferred to a local hospital, and the District of Columbia fire department said the man suffered serious or possibly critical injuries. Authorities were investigating whether the individual has a history of mental illness. Trump praised the work of Secret Service personnel for their work in keeping him safe. Asked if he was shaken by the incident, Trump asked reporters: "I don’t know. Do I seem rattled?" (More White House security stories.)