Man shot after drawing gun outside White House

Name: WORLD
Price range: $

A Secret Service agent shot an armed suspect near the White House this afternoon. The man has been taken to a Washington hospital in critical condition.

According to officials, the as-yet unnamed suspect approached the agent on West Executive Drive, just outside the White House, and drew a weapon. The agent then opened fire. No one else was injured in the incident.

The Secret Service placed the White House on security alert after the shooting, shutting the grounds to pedestrian traffic and locking staff and reporters inside.

Agents placed Vice President Joe Biden, who was onsite at the time, in a secured location during the lockdown, according to the Secret Service. President Barack Obama was out playing golf at the time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Leigh Jones

Leigh is features editor for WORLD. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate who spent six years as a newspaper reporter in Texas before joining WORLD News Group. Leigh also co-wrote Infinite Monster: Courage, Hope, and Resurrection in the Face of One of America's Largest Hurricanes. She resides with her husband and daughter in Houston, Texas.