Shooting near White House: Vance's motorcade was passing shortly before incident

On Monday, May 4, the US Secret Service reported that its employees encountered an armed and "suspicious person" near the White House, who subsequently opened fire in their direction. In addition, the attacker wounded a minor bystander. Agents shot the suspect, he was hospitalized.

This is reported by Reuters.

Agents patrolling the outer perimeter of the White House compound spotted a man who Deputy Director of the Secret Service Matthew Quinn described as a "suspicious individual who appeared to be in possession of a firearm."

He briefly fled after being approached by Secret Service agents and opened fire in their direction, Quinn said at a news conference. The Secret Service then returned fire on the suspect, who was wounded and later hospitalized, Quinn added.

The incident led to a brief lockdown of the White House.

Quinn noted that Vice President J.D. Vance's motorcade had been passing through the area "shortly before" the incident. The Deputy Director of the Secret Service said there was no indication that the suspect intended to approach Vance's motorcade.

Quinn added that the suspect wounded a minor bystander, but that he did not suffer life-threatening injuries and was being treated at a hospital.

The suspect was not on the White House grounds, Quinn said.

Law enforcement has been on high alert in the U.S. capital in recent days following a shooting at a White House Correspondents' Association dinner late last month, for which a man was arrested.

Quinn was asked if Monday's incident was related to "other recent attempts" on President Donald Trump. Trump was at the White House when the incident occurred.

"Whether it was directed at the president or not, I don't know, but we'll find out," Quinn said.

The deputy director of the Secret Service confirmed that the suspect had a weapon seized, but did not provide further details.