“HE WAS ON THEIR RADAR”: White House Gunman Identified as 21-Year-Old Maryland Man with History of Threats

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The gunman who opened fire near the White House on Saturday evening has been identified as Nasire Best, a 21-year-old Maryland man with a documented history of mental health struggles and prior confrontations with the Secret Service, according to multiple law enforcement sources. The suspect, who was shot by Secret Service agents during the exchange of gunfire, died while being transported to GW Medical Center. The incident unfolded around 5:30 p.m. on 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, sending police and security forces swarming the area as President Donald Trump was inside the White House negotiating a deal with Iran. Authorities have not yet released a possible motive, but sources confirm Best was acting alone.

Best had been detained by the Secret Service twice in 2025 — first on June 26 for flagging down agents and making threats, and again on July 10 for entering a restricted area near the executive mansion. Despite those encounters, officials say he was not on an active watchlist at the time of Saturday’s shooting. Crime scene evidence markers now litter the sidewalk along Pennsylvania Avenue as federal investigators piece together the final minutes of the confrontation. The Secret Service has launched a full review of its prior interactions with Best, while the FBI leads the ongoing investigation into the shooting that has once again raised urgent questions about security perimeters and threat assessment around the nation’s most guarded address.