Multiple gunshots were reported near the White House on May 23, 2026, prompting a rapid security response, lockdown, and shelter-in-place orders for staff and journalists. CNN reporters and ABC News correspondent Selina Wang described hearing dozens of gunshots near the North Lawn, with the Secret Service investigating reports of gunfire at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW.
The incident occurred just after 6 p.m. ET, leading to the evacuation of the White House North Lawn and press corps being rushed into the briefing room. President Donald Trump was inside the White House residence at the time, and the lockdown was lifted around 6:45 p.m. ET.
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