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“As officers approached, the individual brandished a firearm and an armed confrontation ensued, during which shots were fired by our personnel,” the Secret Service confirmed in a statement. “The suspect was rushed to an area hospital and his condition is unknown.”
No agents were harmed during the incident, the agency confirmed to Fox News.
The Metropolitan Police Department will take the lead in investigating the shooting, as it is the primary authority overseeing use-of-force cases within Washington, D.C.
Former President Donald Trump was not at the White House when the shooting occurred. According to his official schedule, Trump was at his Mar-a-Lago estate and was set to return to Washington, D.C., later in the day.
The incident comes just days after Trump vowed to release details about two previous assassination attempts against him. On Friday, Trump announced he would make public the reports on the attempts, citing a need for transparency.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump criticized the lack of available information and assured the public that more details would soon be disclosed.
“It’s been seven months. Why do you think we don’t know more about the guy who shot you in the ear?” Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked Trump on Thursday.
“We can no longer blame Biden for that one,” Trump replied. “He should have released that a long time ago. So they are giving me a report next week sometime and I do believe I’ll be releasing. I want to release the report, a lot of people have asked that question.”
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Trump was targeted in two separate assassination attempts in 2024. The first occurred on July 13 during a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. A gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, opened fire from 400 feet away, grazing Trump’s ear. One rally attendee was killed, while two others were critically injured. Secret Service counter-snipers quickly took down Crooks. A bipartisan Senate report later exposed serious security failures that contributed to the attack.
The second attempt happened on September 15 at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. A Secret Service agent identified a suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, hiding in bushes with a rifle near the golf course. The agent fired at Routh, who fled but was later captured while attempting to escape by car.
Routh has pleaded not guilty, and his preliminary trial is scheduled for September 8, 2025.
Trump has raised concerns about both attackers, particularly their access to foreign technology and their legal representation.
“You had one who had three apps, two of which were foreign supposedly and who has the biggest white shoe law firm in Pennsylvania, even though they don’t live in necessarily a white shoe area,” Trump said, referring to Crooks.
He also questioned the number of phones Routh had in his possession.
Despite his frustrations, Trump praised the Secret Service for preventing a potential second shooting at his golf club while continuing to express concerns about unanswered questions surrounding both attacks.
