Who is Nasire Best, the man who opened fire near the White House?
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On Sunday morning, a 21-year-old man named Nasire Best opened fire at a US Secret Service security checkpoint near the White House.
Best approached the checkpoint at approximately 6:00 PM. ET near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, outside the White House complex.
He pulled a revolver from his bag and fired several shots at agents. No Secret Service personnel were injured. Officers returned fire, striking Best, who was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A bystander was also wounded in the exchange and hospitalized in serious or critical condition.
President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time and remained unharmed. The area was placed under a brief lockdown, which was lifted within about an hour as operations returned to normal.
Best, originally from Maryland and residing in Washington, D.C., for approximately 18 months, was previously known to the Secret Service, according to US media reports.
In July 2025, he attempted to gain unauthorized entry to the White House grounds and was arrested. He was subsequently sent to a psychiatric facility for mental health evaluation. Court records indicate prior incidents, including one where he claimed to be Jesus Christ.
Authorities had issued Best a stay-away order from the White House area following his earlier encounters.
Reports describe him as emotionally disturbed, with multiple instances of loitering near security checkpoints.
The FBI and other agencies are assisting the Secret Service in the investigation, which remains ongoing.
No motive has been officially confirmed, though sources point to mental health issues rather than terrorism or political ideology.
The incident marks another security challenge near the White House in recent months.
