The FBI said Saturday evening that agents were on scene supporting the Secret Service after shots were fired near the White House grounds.
FBI is on the scene and supporting Secret Service responding to shots fired near White House grounds – we will update the public as we’re able
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) May 23, 2026
“FBI is on the scene and supporting Secret Service responding to shots fired near White House grounds – we will update the public as we’re able,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X.
Members of the press on the White House grounds reported hearing gunfire and taking shelter as law enforcement responded, according to Axios.
ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Selina Wang said she was filming a social media video from the White House North Lawn when the shots rang out.
“I was in the middle of taping on my iPhone for a social video from the White House North Lawn when we heard the shots. It sounded like dozens of gunshots. We were told to sprint to the press briefing room where we are holding now,” Wang wrote on X.
I was in the middle of taping on my iPhone for a social video from the White House North Lawn when we heard the shots. It sounded like dozens of gunshots. We were told to sprint to the press briefing room where we are holding now. pic.twitter.com/iqdQwh4soq
— Selina Wang (@selinawangtv) May 23, 2026
The White House went into lockdown after gunshots were heard outside the premises, and members of the media moved for safety, the New York Post reported.
The lockdown had been lifted by about 6:45 p.m., CNN reported
It is also being reported that two people were shot and wounded in the encounter. Authorities had not immediately released additional details about their conditions or whether either person was a suspect.
Video circulating on X appeared to show the moment gunfire broke out near the White House as law enforcement responded. Authorities had not confirmed the full context of the footage as of Saturday evening.
🚨 JUST IN: Footage released showing the exact moment shots BROKE OUT at the White House, law enforcement immediately storming the scene and locking the place down
Press have since been allowed OUT of the White House building itself, indicating the threat has been deemed no… pic.twitter.com/N6S8EoYt84
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 23, 2026
The source of the gunfire and whether any suspect had been taken into custody were not immediately clear.
The Secret Service said it was aware of reports of shots fired near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW and was “working to corroborate the information with personnel on the ground,” according to AP.
This is a developing story.
