White House Shooting: Man Claiming to Be Jesus Christ Shot Dead by Secret Service After Opening Fire

Shortly after 6 p.m. on Saturday May 23, a suspect approached the Secret Service checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC, pulled a weapon from his bag, and opened fire directly at officers posted there. Between 15 and 30 gunshots were exchanged. The Secret Service returned fire, striking the gunman. A bystander was also hit, it remains unclear whether by the suspect's bullets or officers' return fire. The gunman was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where he died. The bystander remains in critical condition. No Secret Service officers were injured.

The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best from Maryland, had a deeply documented history with law enforcement. Court records show he was previously involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital and arrested by local police while claiming "he was Jesus Christ." In June 2025, he blocked a White House entry lane, claimed he was God, and was committed to the Psychiatric Institute of Washington for evaluation. A month later, in July, he was arrested again after attempting to enter a White House complex driveway after which a judge issued a formal stay-away order for the White House grounds. His social media included a post appearing to threaten violence against President Trump and another reading, "I'm actually the son of God." The system had flagged him repeatedly. He came back anyway, this time armed.

Trump was inside the White House at the time, having changed his weekend plans at the last minute to stay in Washington instead of traveling to his New Jersey golf club, no official reason was given for that change. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed federal agents were immediately on the scene, posting on X: "FBI is on the scene and supporting Secret Service responding to shots fired near White House grounds, we will update the public as we're able." Trump himself made no public statement. His Communications Director Steven Cheung posted on X two hours later: "President Trump is working at 8:00 PM. Can't stop, won't stop."

This was the third armed incident near the president in under a month. On April 25, Cole Tomas Allen of California opened fire near the White House Correspondents' Dinner and has since pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to kill Trump, remaining in federal custody. On May 4, Michael Marx of Texas fired near the Washington Monument and was subsequently charged in federal court. In a separate incident, a shooting connected to a different attack left US Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, dead , and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe critically wounded with Rahmanullah Lakanwal charged in that case.