Trump escorted from briefing after shooting outside White House
WASHINGTON (KYMA, KECY)-President Donald Trump was abruptly escorted out of a press conference Monday after Secret Service agents shot and wounded a man who claimed to be armed outside the White House.
Trump said the suspect was taken to the hospital and no one else was injured.
In a statement released by the Secret Service, it said, a 51-year-old man approached an officer at a post on the White House perimeter and said he had a weapon. The suspect then “ran aggressively” toward the officer, pulled an object from his clothing and crouched into a “shooter’s stance” as if he was going to fire a weapon.
The officer shot the suspect in the torso, said the statement.
The Secret Service said earlier Monday that the suspect and the officer had been transported to an area hospital.
Tom Sullivan, chief of the Secret Service Uniformed Division, said that at no time was the White House complex breached or that anyone inside the complex was in danger.
Statement from U.S. Secret Service on officer involved shooting: pic.twitter.com/vMP9ypuNh5
— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) August 11, 2020
After being taken to the Oval Office, the president returned to the briefing room around 10 minutes later to resume his briefing. Trump said he was not aware of the specifics of the threat.
"It seems to be very well under control," Trump said. "It's unfortunate that this is the world but the world has always been a dangerous place. It's not something that's unique."
Reporters in the room were placed on lockdown while authorities investigated the situation.