A shooting outside the White House on Saturday briefly locked down the presidential complex and disrupted a critical weekend of negotiations around a potential US-Iran peace agreement.
The incident came just hours after President Donald Trump claimed a deal to end the war with Iran had been “largely negotiated.”
Tensions Rise in Washington
According to the Secret Service and multiple US media reports, a gunman opened fire near a security checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW shortly after 6 p.m. ET. Secret Service agents returned fire, wounding the suspect. A bystander was also reportedly injured.
The White House North Lawn was evacuated as reporters were rushed into the press briefing room. Journalists on-site described hearing between 15 and 30 gunshots. The lockdown was lifted less than an hour later.
The FBI is assisting the Secret Service investigation. Authorities said the suspect had previously been subject to a “stay-away order” connected to the White House area. No motive has been officially confirmed.
The security scare unfolded during one of the most politically sensitive weekends of Trump’s presidency.
US-Iran Deal in Crosshairs?
Earlier in the day, Trump announced that a framework agreement with Iran was nearing completion and said reopening the Strait of Hormuz was part of the negotiations.
The proposed deal is being mediated in part by Pakistan and Gulf states following months of conflict triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February. However, key disagreements reportedly remain over sanctions relief, Iran’s nuclear program, and long-term enforcement terms.
Saturday’s shooting also adds to growing security concerns around Trump and the White House.
The incident follows the April 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting and another armed confrontation involving Secret Service agents near the National Mall earlier this month.
Financial markets initially reacted positively to Trump’s Iran comments earlier in the day, with Bitcoin rebounding from a one-month low below $75,000 and several altcoins rallying sharply. However, the White House shooting injected fresh uncertainty into an already tense political environment.
