What we know about Nasire Best, Maryland man accused of White House shooting, sources say

Details about the man gunned down by the U.S. Secret Service after he opened fire near the White House on Saturday night are still coming to light as multiple sources confirm the man has been identified as Nasire Best. 

What we know:

The suspect was identified as Nasire Best, 21, Fox News Digital reported, citing multiple sources who indicated the Maryland man had multiple previous run-ins with the Secret Service. Best was detained in June of last year for flagging down agents and making threats and two weeks later for entering a restricted area.

A forensic investigator takes photos behind a police tape blocking off a crime scene with evidence markers seen on a sidewalk on 17th and Pennsylvania Ave near the White House in Washington, DC, on May 23, 2026. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via

RELATED: White House shooting: Suspect killed after shooting at Secret Service, reports say

The Secret Service confirmed a couple of hours after the shooting that the man had died after exchanging fire with its agents.

The man had approached a White House security checkpoint and pulled a gun from his bag before opening fire, according to the Secret Service. Law enforcement shot back and wounded the man, who was taken to the hospital where he died. 

What we don’t know:

Officials have not released the name of the man or said if he was from the D.C. area. 

They have not said what led to the shooting, if it was politically motivated and if President Donald Trump, who was in the White House at the time, was an intended target.

Investigators will need to determine if the man was acting alone or if he had accomplices.

The backstory:

The Metropolitan Police Department had responded to the shooting around 6 p.m. to the scene, near 17th Street NW and Pennsylvania.

The deadly confrontation spurred a brief lockdown inside the White House. Journalists who were inside at the time had shared videos of Secret Service agents on the lawn immediately after the shooting.

Authorities say another person was struck by gunfire. That person’s name and condition have not been released.