Secret Service shoots armed man near White House after gunfire; vice president’s motorcade had just passed

An armed man was shot by US Secret Service agents in downtown Washington on Monday after he opened fire near the National Mall, triggering a brief lockdown of the White House.

The incident occurred shortly after a motorcade carrying Vice President JD Vance had passed through the area. However, Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said there was no immediate indication that the vice president was the intended target.

“I’m not going to speculate on that,” Quinn told reporters when asked whether the shooting was linked to recent attempts on President Donald Trump’s life. “Whether it was directed at the president or not, we don’t know yet, but we will determine that.”

According to Quinn, Secret Service personnel spotted a “suspicious individual” who appeared to be armed near the National Mall. When officers approached him, the man fled on foot before pulling out a weapon and opening fire.

Agents returned fire, injuring the suspect, who was later taken to a hospital. His condition was not immediately known.

A juvenile bystander sustained minor injuries during the exchange, Quinn added.

The incident prompted heightened security measures and a temporary lockdown at the White House, which was lifted shortly afterwards.

The shooting comes just over a week after another armed person allegedly attempted to breach security at a Washington hotel where Trump was attending an event.

In that case, authorities charged 31-year-old Cole Allen with attempting to assassinate the president.

The latest incident is expected to raise fresh concerns about security around senior US officials amid increasing fears of politically motivated violence.