The U.S. White House was briefly placed under lockdown on Monday afternoon, May 4, after law enforcement officers shot an individual near the Washington Monument. The incident occurred around 3:45 p.m. at the intersection of 15th Street and Independence Avenue, a location in close proximity to the executive mansion.
At the time of the shooting, President Donald Trump was hosting a small business event within the White House. While the Secret Service moved quickly to usher journalists from the North Lawn into the briefing room and secure the complex, the President continued his event without interruption.
The lockdown was lifted shortly after authorities determined there was no ongoing threat to the complex.
The condition of the individual shot and the specific circumstances leading to the use of force have not yet been released. The Secret Service has advised the public to avoid the area surrounding the National Mall as emergency crews and investigators continue their work.
This incident occurs during a period of heightened security and extreme tension in the nation’s capital. Washington remains on high alert following an assassination attempt on President Trump just nine days ago at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. In that attack, a suspect identified as Cole Tomas Allen allegedly fired a shotgun at a security checkpoint, injuring a Secret Service agent whose life was saved by his ballistic vest.