Dozens of shots were reportedly fired outside the White House on Saturday afternoon, prompting a Secret Service response.
The incident occurred around 6:25 p.m. ET while reporters and crew were on the North Lawn conducting live reports. ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Selina Wang was filming a social video when the gunfire erupted.
In raw video captured by Wang and shared widely on X, she is seen mid-sentence discussing developments on a potential U.S.-Iran deal when her eyes widen and her mouth opens in surprise. “That President Trump has said a deal is close, only for the two sides to remain far apart,” she says just before the shots.
The camera then shakes violently as she and others duck for cover, sprinting toward safety amid chaotic panning and blurred motion of trees, pavement, equipment, and people rushing indoors. Secret Service agents reportedly rushed the press corps into the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room for shelter.
BREAKING: About 30 shots fired outside the White House.
Secret Service reportedly rushed the press who were on the north lawn into the press briefing room.
ABC reporter Selina Wang was in the middle of filming when the shots rang out.pic.twitter.com/KvRZgbuXlm
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 23, 2026
Multiple outlets, including CNN, confirmed the gunfire. CNN reporters “heard what appeared to be dozens of gunshots near the White House on Saturday, triggering a lockdown and a rapid response from the U.S. Secret Service.”
Wang herself also reported on what she saw in a social media post of her own. “I was in the middle of taping on my iPhone for a social video from the White House North Lawn when we heard the shots. It sounded like dozens of gunshots. We were told to sprint to the press briefing room where we are holding now.”
DC Fire & EMS units responded to the area of 17th Street NW and Pennsylvania Avenue NW for two patients following the reported shots fired. The White House complex was briefly placed on lockdown while agents secured the perimeter, while counter-snipers were visible in some videos.
Donald Trump remained inside the White House and was reported safe. No immediate details have been released on the origin of the gunfire, any suspect, motive, or confirmed injuries to bystanders, press, or Secret Service personnel as of this report.
This is a developing story. Additional details will be provided as they become available.
