AT A GLANCE
• Nasire Best, 21, was fatally shot by Secret Service officers after authorities said he opened fire near a White House checkpoint Saturday evening.
• A bystander was struck by gunfire and remained in serious but stable condition Sunday.
• Court records show Best had a previous arrest near the White House after allegedly trying to enter restricted grounds.
• President Donald Trump was inside the White House at the time and was not injured.
The 21-Year-Old From Maryland, Nasire Best, Had A History Of Walking Around White House Grounds And Asking How To Gain Access To The Entry Points
The 21-year-old Maryland man accused of opening fire near a White House security checkpoint had previous encounters with law enforcement around the White House complex, according to court records and reporting from The Associated Press.
Authorities identified the suspect as Nasire Best of Dundalk, Maryland. The U.S. Secret Service said Best was near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday when he pulled a weapon from his bag and began firing toward officers. Secret Service officers returned fire, striking Best. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
A bystander was also hit by gunfire and remained in serious but stable condition Sunday. Officials said the injury was not considered life threatening, but it was not immediately clear whether the bystander was struck by Best’s gunfire or by shots fired during the response.
Past White House Encounters Detailed In Court Records
Court records show Best had been arrested in July 2025 after allegedly trying to enter a different White House checkpoint without authorization. According to AP, he did not follow officers’ commands to stop, claimed he was Jesus Christ and said he wanted to be arrested. A pretrial stay away order was later issued, a common court measure directing a defendant to avoid a person or location before trial.
Reports also said Best had previously been flagged by the Secret Service after walking around the White House complex and asking how to access entry points. Another prior incident reportedly involved Best blocking a vehicle trying to enter the east side of the White House.
Authorities have not released a motive for Saturday’s shooting, and officials have not said whether Best was specifically targeting President Donald Trump.
Trump was inside the White House at the time of the shooting and was not injured. The Secret Service said no officers were hurt.
In a Truth Social post Sunday, Trump thanked the Secret Service and law enforcement. He described the suspect as having “a violent history and possible obsession with our Country’s most cherished structure,” then used the incident to renew his call for additional White House security measures, including a proposed secure ballroom project.
Saturday’s shooting was the third gunfire incident near the president in the past month, following an April incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner and another shooting near the Washington Monument earlier in May.
Family Member Says Best Was “Never Violent”
Best’s mother told The Washington Post she learned about the shooting on social media and was in disbelief. She said her son “was never violent, regardless of what people are posting.”
Best graduated from Dundalk High School in 2023, where he had been a track and field athlete, according to AP. The FBI and Secret Service are continuing to investigate the shooting.
