Secret Service escorts Trump from briefing room after shooting outside White House
Secret Service #SecretService
President Donald Trump was rushed out of the White House briefing room Monday evening after an officer-involved shooting nearby.
After he returned to continue his coronavirus response briefing, Trump said he had been taken to the Oval Office by the Secret Service and told reporters that law enforcement had shot someone outside the White House.
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“There was a shooting, law enforcement shot someone, seems to be someone, and the suspect is on the way to the hospital,” Trump said as the briefing restarted following the sudden, but brief, lockdown.
A senior official told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl the shooting happened on 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. The suspect opened fired on a non-White House employee and a Uniformed Secret Service officer returned fire, according to the official.
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The Secret Service later confirmed that location in a tweet.
According to another source familiar with the matter, the Secret Service called for an ambulance at 5:55 p.m. and one came shortly after. The suspect, an adult male, was transported to a hospital in critical condition with one gunshot wound to the upper body, the source said.
Later, the Secret Service posted to Twitter that a male subject and a Secret Service officer were both transported to a local hospital, but did not specify either of their injuries. The tweet went on to confirm, that there was no breach of the White House complex.
Trump said “from what I understand” the suspect was armed. He said the suspect was shot outside the White House grounds but close to the fence.
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In addition to the Secret Service, the Metropolitan Police Department was assisting with the investigation.
“It’s unfortunate that this is the world but the world has always been a dangerous place. It’s not something that’s unique,” he added.
The president was taken out of the briefing room and into the Oval Office for about nine minutes.
“We don’t know” if the suspect mentioned a name, he said. “It might not have had anything to do with me.”
The Secret Service said on Twitter that none of its protectees was in danger.
Trump said he “didn’t even think about not coming back” to brief reporters.
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Asked what the Secret Service agent told him when he was approached mid-sentence, Trump said, “Just told me when he came up, you pretty much saw it like I did. He said, ‘Sir, could you please come with me?’ So, you were surprised. I was surprised, also. I think it’s probably — it’s pretty unusual but very, very professional people, they all do a fantastic job, as you know.”
Responding to a question from reporters, Trump said he does not think the suspect “breached anything.”
“It was on the outside grounds, so I don’t believe anything was breached. I asked that question. They were relatively far away,” Trump said.
ABC News’ Luke Barr contributed to this report.