White House security scare prompts Secret Service shooting

Jason Sickles

A shooting on a street just outside the White House created a brief national security scare Friday afternoon.

A uniformed Secret Service officer reportedly shot an armed person on West Executive Ave. NW, a street that borders the White House to the west.

Slideshow: Shooting prompts White House security scare >>>

An official, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity for lack of authorization to release the information, said the Secret Service officer opened fire around 2 p.m., after the person approached a White House gate with a handgun.

A Secret Service agent orders people into buildings near the entrance to the West Wing of the White House in Washington, May 20, 2016, after the White House was placed on security alert after shooting on street outside. (Andrew Harnik/AP)
A Secret Service agent orders people into buildings near the entrance to the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 20. The White House was placed on security alert after a shooting on street outside. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

The unidentified person was taken to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

No one else was injured. The White House and other federal offices were locked down for about an hour during the incident.

A White House official said “no one within or associated with the White House was injured” in the shooting incident. President Obama had left earlier in the afternoon to play golf at Joint Base Andrews, according to the White House press pool. Vice President Joe Biden was on the White House grounds, but was quickly secured inside.

The shooting occurred near the intersection of 17th St. NW and E streets.

News 4 Washington, a local NBC affiliate, spoke to a witness, Larry Samples, who said he saw a man walk toward the White House with a silver gun in his hand. According to Samples, the man ignored repeated orders from officers on the premises to drop the gun and was eventually shot when he refused to comply.

(This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.)

Yahoo News reporter Caitlin Dickson contributed to this story.

Jason Sickles is a national reporter for Yahoo News. Follow him on Twitter (@jasonsickles).