Trump’s First Reaction After Secret Service Kills White House Shooter: “Maybe an Obsession…” | Today’s news
President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday night to respond to the shooting near the White House, saying the suspect had a “violent past and a possible obsession with our country’s most treasured structure.” The gunman, identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best, died in hospital after Secret Service officers returned fire near the gates of the White House. It was the third shooting incident in Trump’s neighborhood in just one month.
“Thank you to our great Secret Service and law enforcement for the swift and professional action taken tonight against a shooter near the White House who had a violent past and may have possessed our nation’s most treasured structure,” Trump wrote. “Shooter is dead after shootout with Secret Service agents near White House gates.”
Trump also used the moment to renew his call for a new presidential facility. “This event is one month removed from the filming of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and shows how important it is for all future presidents to obtain what will be the safest and most secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, DC. Our country’s national security demands it!”
What happened Saturday night near the White House
The U.S. Secret Service confirmed in a statement posted on X that the suspect was in the area of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue when he “pulled a gun out of his bag” shortly after 6 p.m. EDT and began shooting. Secret Service officers returned fire, hitting the suspect and he was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
A law enforcement official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the investigation, identified the suspect as 21-year-old Nasir Best.
The suspect had a history of attempting to breach White House security
District of Columbia court records reveal that Best was no stranger to White House security. He was arrested in July 2025 after he tried to trespass at another White House checkpoint, disobeyed officers’ orders to stop, “claimed he was Jesus Christ” and said he wanted to be arrested.
Following this incident, a “Pretrial Stay Away Order” was issued, which is a legal order that usually orders a defendant to stay away from any person or a certain area before a trial. An arrest warrant was subsequently issued in August following a “non-compliance” notice against Best, although he turned up for a later hearing.
Trump’s third shooting in a month
Saturday’s incident marks the third time in the past month that gunfire has been reported near President Trump.
In a previous incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, suspect Cole Tomas Allen ran through security with a shotgun and exchanged gunfire with Secret Service agents. Allen has pleaded not guilty to the attempted assassination of Trump and related charges.
What Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post
Thank you to our great Secret Service and law enforcement for the swift and professional action taken tonight against a shooter near the White House who had a violent past and may have possessed our nation’s most treasured building. The shooter is dead after a shootout with Secret Service agents near the gates of the White House. This event is one month removed from the filming of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and shows how important it is for all future presidents to get the safest and most secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C. Our country’s national security demands it!
