Juvenile Bystander Injured in Officer-Involved Shooting Near White House
Washington, D.C. — A juvenile bystander was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries following an exchange of gunfire near the White House on Sunday, prompting a brief lockdown of the presidential complex.
The incident occurred shortly after Vice President JD Vance had left the area, authorities said. According to Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew C. Quinn, the confrontation took place near 15th Street and Independence Avenue. Secret Service personnel responded to reports of an armed individual, leading to an officer-involved shooting.
Officials said the suspect fled on foot before opening fire on officers, who returned fire. The suspect was also hospitalized, and investigators recovered a weapon at the scene. There was no immediate evidence that the White House or the vice president’s motorcade was the intended target, the Secret Service confirmed in a statement.
The shooting comes just over a week after another serious security breach at a high-profile event attended by President Donald Trump. Federal prosecutors have accused 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of California of attempting to force his way into the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Authorities allege Allen was armed with multiple weapons when he tried to reach the ballroom where the president was present.
During a federal court appearance, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Ballantine stated that Allen “attempted to assassinate the president of the United States.” Prosecutors requested continued detention pending further investigation, with possible additional charges forthcoming.
Security officials stressed that such incidents near protected government sites are met with the highest level of response. “This is the kind of situation that we cannot tolerate,” one official remarked amid heightened concerns over recent threats in the nation’s capital.
The Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies continue to investigate both incidents.
