Nasire Best has been named as the 21-year-old who was shot and killed by agents outside the White House on Saturday (May 23), with reports saying the Secret Service had prior encounters with him.
According to law enforcement sources cited by CNN, the shooting happened after Best approached a security checkpoint near the White House and began firing at officers, prompting agents to return fire.
President Trump was inside the White House at the time and was not injured. A bystander was struck during the exchange, which occurred at around 18:00 local time, though it is not yet clear what injuries, if any, they sustained.
The Secret Service said none of its personnel were hurt.
Best, who had previously been arrested in July 2025 after attempting to access the White House, was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead.
Court records indicate he had been involuntarily committed to a psychiatric facility on one occasion, and in a separate incident was arrested after telling police he was ‘Jesus Christ’.
His social media activity also appeared to raise concerns. In one post, he reportedly claimed he is ‘actually the son of God’, while another allegedly included threats of violence against President Trump.
Records also suggest officers interacted with him multiple times near the White House complex last summer, describing him as frequently “walking around the White House complex inquiring how to gain access at various entry points”.
In June 2026, he was reported to have “obstructed vehicle entry” at part of the complex, and on July 10 he allegedly entered a restricted area.
On May 23, several reporters were positioned outside the grounds in Washington, DC, when gunshots were heard across the lawn.
Selina Wang of ABC News said she was told to “sprint to the press briefing room” as the White House went into lockdown.
After the incident, the president issued a statement on Truth Social, praising the Secret Service and law enforcement for what he described as their “swift and professional” response.
He wrote: “He [Best] had a violent history and possible obsession with our Country’s most cherished structure.
“This event is one month removed from the White House Correspondent’s Dinner shooting, and goes to show how important it is, for all future Presidents, to get, what will be, the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C. The National Security of our Country demands it!”