A 21-year-old man with a documented history of erratic behavior at the White House perimeter opened fire on Secret Service officers just steps from where President Trump was inside — and paid for it with his life.
Story Snapshot
- Nasire Best, 21, of Maryland pulled a revolver from a messenger bag and opened fire on a Secret Service checkpoint near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW on May 23, 2026.
- Secret Service Uniformed Division officers returned fire, fatally shooting Best; a bystander was also wounded in the exchange.
- Best had a prior documented history at the White House perimeter, including a 2025 incident where he claimed to be Jesus Christ, a mental health evaluation, an unlawful entry arrest, and a court-issued stay-away order he ignored.
- President Trump was inside the White House at the time and was not harmed; he praised law enforcement for their swift and professional response.
Gunfire Erupts at the White House Perimeter
On the evening of May 23, 2026, Nasire Best approached a United States Secret Service checkpoint near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. According to law enforcement sources cited by CBS News, Best pulled a revolver from a messenger bag and began firing at uniformed Secret Service officers stationed at the outer security layer of the White House complex. Journalists on the North Lawn dove for cover as shots rang out, and a lockdown was immediately imposed across the White House grounds. [2]
Multiple uniformed Secret Service Uniformed Division officers returned fire and fatally shot Best. A bystander was also wounded during the exchange, though CBS News reported it remained unclear whether the bystander was struck by Best’s gunfire or by rounds from responding officers. President Donald Trump was inside the White House throughout the incident and was not harmed. Trump publicly praised law enforcement for their “swift and professional” handling of the threat. [2][6]
A Troubled History the System Failed to Stop
Best’s appearance at the White House checkpoint was not his first. Court records and law enforcement sources cited by CBS News reveal that in June 2025, Best blocked a White House entry lane and told agents he was Jesus Christ and wanted to be arrested. He was referred for a mental health evaluation. In July 2025, Secret Service agents arrested him on an unlawful entry charge, and a D.C. Superior Court judge issued a stay-away order requiring him to keep away from the White House. [2]
Best’s compliance with that court order was short-lived. Washington, D.C. Superior Court records show he failed to appear for a scheduled August 7, 2025, status hearing. The court responded by issuing a no-bond, D.C.-only bench warrant for his arrest. Despite that outstanding warrant, Best was not in custody when he approached the Secret Service checkpoint nearly ten months later and opened fire. [2][4]
System Failures and Unanswered Questions
The fact that Best had an active bench warrant and a court-ordered stay-away directive — and still managed to walk up to a White House checkpoint armed with a firearm — raises serious questions about how the system allowed this to happen. Courts issued the right orders. Best defied them. Somewhere between that August 2025 warrant and the May 2026 shooting, the enforcement mechanism broke down entirely, and the Secret Service was left to handle the consequences. [2][4]
Police say the suspected gunman in Saturday’s shooting at the White House was identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best. Court records show Best tried to gain entry to the White House last July, and was sent to a psychiatric ward for mental health issues. CBS News’ @NatalieABrand… pic.twitter.com/l255OdgvGb
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) May 24, 2026
Some details in the initial reporting remain inconsistent — CBS News described the weapon as a revolver while other outlets called it a pistol, and shot-count estimates varied widely across news summaries. No official Secret Service incident report or ballistics analysis has been publicly released. What is not in dispute is the outcome: officers faced an armed attacker at the front door of the White House, responded with force, and protected the president. The Secret Service performed exactly as it should. The courts and the broader system that let a known, mentally unstable, warrant-carrying individual walk free with a firearm did not. [2][4][1]
Sources:
[1] YouTube – US Secret Service Shot Down 21-Year-Old Gunman Nasire Best
[2] Web – Alleged gunman outside White House had previous run-ins with …
[4] Web – Who is Nasire Best? Here’s what we know about man killed in …
[6] YouTube – Who Is Nasire Best? Suspect Who Opened Fire on Secret …