An ABC News correspondent has shared footage capturing the moment she had to drop to the ground as gunfire erupted outside the White House. Selina Wang was using her phone to record a social media segment on the Pebble Beach area of the North Lawn on Saturday afternoon when multiple loud gunshots shattered the quiet of the executive mansion.
The Secret Service immediately placed the entire complex on lockdown. Agents ordered members of the press corps who were outside to run for safety inside the building, where journalists sheltered in place in the White House briefing room.
Law enforcement authorities have identified the deceased suspect as 21-year-old Nasire Best. According to investigators, Best approached a security booth near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, close to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, and opened fire on the Secret Service officers stationed inside.
Officers returned fire, fatally wounding Best. A bystander also sustained injuries during the exchange of gunfire, though no Secret Service agents were hurt.
Public records show that Best was well known to federal law enforcement before Saturday’s shooting. Officers had intercepted him at the complex multiple times over the past year. In the summer, authorities observed him walking around the perimeter inquiring how to enter various access points. He was also arrested for obstructing a vehicle entrance and entering a restricted area of the grounds. His social media accounts contained explicit threats of violence directed at President Donald Trump.
Wang shared the video of her interrupted broadcast on the social media platform X, describing the confusion and urgency of the situation. “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,” she wrote. “It sounded like dozens of gunshots. We were told to sprint to the press briefing room.”
Inside the complex, the atmosphere was similarly tense. Secret Service agents could be heard shouting at staff and reporters to “get down” as they secured the hallways.
President Trump, who was inside the residence during the attack, was unhurt. He later released a statement on Truth Social praising law enforcement officers for their rapid and professional response to the threat.
The president noted that the suspect had a violent history and a fixation on the White House grounds. He added that the incident, coming one month after a previous shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, highlights the ongoing need to upgrade security measures across the capital to ensure the safety of the executive branch.
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
