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The gunman who was shot dead by Secret Service agents near the White House on Saturday evening (US time) had a history of mental health issues and reportedly believed he was Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n
Multiple US media outlets have identified the man as Nasire Best, 21, who was known to both the Secret Service and the Metropolitan Police Department.<\/p>\n
The man was originally from Maryland but had been living in Washington for 18 months, CBS reported.<\/p>\n
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Law enforcement officers respond following gunfire near the White House in Washington.Bloomberg<\/p>\n
Officers had encountered Best multiple times near the White House last summer, CNN and The New York Times reported.<\/p>\n
A court affidavit says he was \u201cknown to the Secret Service\u201d for \u201cwalking around the White House complex, inquiring how to gain access at various entry points\u201d.<\/p>\n
He was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital on June 26, 2025, for a mental health assessment after \u201cobstructing vehicle entry\u201d to part of the White House complex, the court documents said. Then, on July 10, he ignored warning signs and walked into a restricted area outside the White House, where multiple officers confronted him.<\/p>\n
Best claimed to be Jesus Christ and said that \u201che wanted to get arrested\u201d, the court documents said. A judge issued a \u201cstay-away order\u201d the day of his arrest, apparently barring him from the area around the White House. After he did not show up for a hearing in August a bench warrant was issued.<\/p>\n
Social media belonging to Best, CNN reports, includes one post that appeared to threaten violence against US President Donald Trump and another post where he wrote, \u201cI\u2019m actually the son of God\u201d.<\/p>\n
A Secret Service spokesman confirmed the suspect opened fire about 6pm Saturday (8am Sunday AEST), before being taken down by agents\u2019 gunfire.<\/p>\n
He had pointed the gun at a window of a security checkpoint on the outskirts of the White House complex. Best was taken to hospital, where he later died.<\/p>\n
Trump later wrote on Truth Social that the shooter had a \u201cviolent history and possible obsession\u201d with the White House.<\/p>\n
Related Article Earlier this month a man was charged in connection with a May 4 shooting near the Washington Monument, near a motorcade for US Vice President JD Vance.<\/p>\n A month ago gunfire interrupted the White House Correspondents\u2019 Dinner at the Washington Hilton.<\/p>\n There were two previous assassination attempts on Trump. In July 2024, at an open-air campaign rally in Pennsylvania, a man with an AR-15-style rifle climbed a nearby roof and shot at Trump, managing to graze his ear. Another attendee was killed and two more injured, before Secret Service snipers took out the gunman.<\/p>\n The following September a sniper was caught outside Trump\u2019s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was sentenced in February to life in prison.<\/p>\n Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what\u2019s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Police](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779646757_377_bc9141f7cd167296518aa6076d4c9b82f2cbf6da.jpeg\")
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