Authorities say a uniformed Secret Service officer shot and wounded a man who brandished a gun outside the White House on Friday afternoon. President Obama was and is off site. The White House is now removed from lockdown, and normal activities in the area have resumed.
The suspect was shot in the abdomen, then taken into custody, CNN reports. Witnesses told investigators they saw the man walking toward officers with a gun in his hand. The suspect refused to drop his gun, and an officer shot and wounded him.
UPDATE: Shooting at 17th and E Sts NW – 1pt transported with critical injuries to a local hospital #dctraffic
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) May 20, 2016
From the Washington Post:
Police officials said the man approached a security gate on West Executive Drive, and was shot shortly after 2 p.m. The man was told to drop the gun and refused, according to two law enforcement officials.
The White House was placed on lockdown during the incident. The wounded person was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Police closed off a block-long stretch of 17th Street, and a helicopter was circling overhead. President Obama was golfing at Joint Base Andrews on Friday afternoon, according to the White House press pool. Vice President Biden was "secured within the complex," according to a White House official who asked for anonymity to discuss security matters.
