Nasire Best, Maryland native with history of mental health woes & who believed he was Jesus Christ shot dead opening fire outside White House. Washington D.C shooter had previous episodes at White House leading to him being committed only to be let out.
A gunman who opened fire outside the perimeter of the White House has been identified as a 21-year-old man who believed he was Jesus Christ, according to officials’ previous engagement with the shooter.
Nasire Best, 21, a Maryland native was gunned down after exchanging fire with Secret Service agents in Washington, DC on Saturday evening.
The gunfire came from the 17th Street side of the White House, closer to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
BREAKING: The gunman who opened fire near the White House on Saturday afternoon has been identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best of Maryland. Secret Service agents shot Best during the incident, and he later died while being transported to the hospital.
The shooter allegedly had… pic.twitter.com/Iivpmp3A1Z
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 24, 2026
Shooter pulled out gun and started firing outside White House checkpoint
Best was seen pacing up and down 17th St Northwest moments before he pulled out a revolver outside a White House checkpoint circa 6:10 p.m.
He approached the Secret Service booth and pulled out a weapon from his bag before unleashing a hail of bullets. Best was ‘neutralized’ by security agents, who remained unharmed.
The White House was immediately placed on lockdown as President Donald Trump and other senior officials were inside.
An adult civilian was injured during the shooting, although authorities said they were unclear if they were wounded by the suspect or during crossfire.
Journalists gathered at the White House reported hearing up to 30 shots which left them scrambling for cover.
🚨 WHITE HOUSE SHOOTING REACTIONS
Three reporters go live as shots ring out near the White House.
Two duck for cover immediately.
One stands there completely clueless.
Never be the woman in the middle. pic.twitter.com/dVkQ31shsM
— Alec Lace (@AlecLace) May 24, 2026
Nasire Best mental health woes & repeat White House violator
While a motive for the attack hasn’t been confirmed, sources said Best is a mentally troubled individual who was well-known to the Secret Service for repeatedly loitering around various entry posts and who has violated a previous court order to stay away from the White House.
Best previously come to the attention of the Secret Service and had violated an earlier court order requiring him to stay away from the White House grounds, NBC reported.
Best was detained by Secret Service on June 26, 2025, for flagging down agents and making threats, and two weeks later on July 10, 2025, for entering a restricted area in which he claimed to be Jesus Christ and that he ‘wanted to be arrested,’ according to court records of the incident.
During the June incident, Best blocked an entry lane at the White House. He was detained by the Secret Service after claiming he was ‘God’ then committed to the Psychiatric Institute of Washington for a mental evaluation.
Political violence in the United States
The following month he was arrested once again after he attempted to enter a driveway at the White House. Afterward, a judge issued an order demanding he stay away from the White House grounds.
Best had been living in Washington DC for 18 months leading up to Saturday’s gun violence. Not immediately clear is the length of stay at the mental facility and how the troubled man came to be released.
While it wasn’t known if the shooting was politically motivated, leaders from both sides of the aisle condemned the episode, stating that political violence has to stop.
The incident comes as Trump, 79, has been the target of three alleged assassination attempts, the most recent of which took place on April 25 when an armed man stormed the security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents Dinner.
