Donald Trump was unexpectedly led out of a White House press briefing by a Secret Service agent just a few minutes after he took the podium, before returning to inform reporters about a shooting that took place outside the White House. The president said based on what he knew, an armed person was shot by Secret Service and had been taken to the hospital.
Divulging details about the shooting on Monday, the Secret Service released a statement on Twitter that said a 50-year-old man came towards a Uniformed Division officer who was standing at his post on the corner of 17th Street Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House. The middle-aged man told the agent that he was carrying a weapon, and as he continued approaching, the suspicious man took off in a sprint, appearing to be withdrawing an object from his clothing.
The suspect then took a shooter's stance as if he was gearing up to fire a weapon, the statement revealed. Finding these moves understandably suspicious, the agent fired his weapon, striking the subject in the torso. The aforesaid intersection is outside the White House grounds.
Furthermore, the Secret Service tweeted that a male subject and a USSS officer have both been taken to a local hospital. The agency clarified that during this incident, the White House complex wasn't breached nor were any protectees in jeopardy. It looks like the wounds of the suspect involved in the shooting aren't fatal, a law enforcement source told Fox News.
There was a joint press conference with the Secret Service and the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department that claimed the investigation was still in its early stages. The city police are expected to support the investigation.
Just a few minutes after Trump took the podium on Monday afternoon, someone, who seemed to be a Secret Service agent, informed the president about shots that were fired outside before Trump stopped and left the room. “Excuse me?" Trump said to the agent before leaving the room.
Fox News’ John Roberts said he heard the sound of gunshots outside the White House just a few minutes after the briefing began. Trump returned to the podium later to inform that a shooting took place outside the White House, adding that more details will be released soon.
Aside from that, the president also said he wasn't rushed to the White House bunker, but was taken to the Oval Office instead. Responding to a reporter who asked if he was rattled by this incident, Trump asked, "Do I seem rattled?" He went on to talk about other issues such as the coronavirus crisis and the stock market.