The man who opened fire outside the White House on Saturday, wounding a bystander before being shot and killed by the Secret Service, had multiple earlier encounters with authorities at the presidential residence, according to court documents.
Nasire Best, of Dundalk, Maryland, was identified by Washington, D.C. police as the suspect. He was killed after firing shots near a Secret Service checkpoint just after 6:00 p.m. EST on Saturday. President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time but was unharmed.
Court records show that Best had two notable run-ins with the Secret Service in the summer of 2025. In June, he blocked a White House entry lane and told agents he was Jesus Christ. He also said he wanted to be arrested. Following that incident, he was sent for a mental health evaluation.
Just a month later, in July, Best tried again to enter the White House area. Secret Service agents arrested him and charged him with unlawfully entering a federally controlled property. He was released after his arraignment, but failed to appear for a court hearing in August. That led to a bench warrant being issued for his arrest.
On Saturday, Best returned to the area and began shooting at a Secret Service checkpoint at the corner of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Officers returned fire, striking and killing him. Best was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A bystander was also shot and seriously injured during the exchange. Officials said the victim was in stable condition as of Sunday. No Secret Service officers were hurt.
Video from the scene showed reporters ducking for cover as gunfire rang out. Trump later thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement on social media, writing, “Thank you to our great Secret Service and Law Enforcement for the swift and professional action taken this evening against a gunman near the White House.”
The shooting comes just one month after another gunman opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, an event that forced Trump to be rushed out by security and led to the quick evacuation of hundreds of attendees.
Officials said the Saturday incident did not affect any protected individuals or White House operations.