Reporters and staff take cover as gunshots ring out near presidential residence
Updated ,first published
Washington: The White House was placed on lockdown as “dozens” of gunshots rang out near the building; Reporters on the front lawn were forced to duck for cover and the Secret Service was forced to secure the property.
The incident occurred Saturday afternoon (Washington time) while President Donald Trump and other senior officials were inside the building to deal with the developing situation in Iran.
In the dramatic video, ABC News America correspondent Selina Wang was seen trying to hide on the North Lawn of the White House as several loud explosions were heard while she was on air.
During the quarantine, journalists were locked in the press briefing room and the Secret Service patrolled the area outside. The lockdown was later lifted, indicating that the immediate threat had diminished.
Washington police said the Secret Service was responding to an incident at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, at the northwest corner of the White House area.
The Secret Service also said it was aware of reports of gunshots being heard on that corner. FBI director Kash Patel said the bureau was on scene to support the Secret Service and would provide an update later.
The incident comes just weeks after a gunman allegedly targeted Trump and other administration officials at the White House Correspondents’ Association’s annual dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Washington.
More to come
Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political correspondent in Canberra.Connect with: X or email.
