White House gunman had previously tried to enter, court records show
A man who had twice tried to reach the White House was later killed after opening fire on a Secret Service checkpoint, raising new security questions.
The man killed after opening fire near the White House had already drawn the attention of federal authorities twice in 2025, a trail of warnings that now sits at the center of the security review. Court records and law enforcement sources identified him as 21-year-old Nasire Best of Dundalk, Maryland, and show that he moved from attempted access to arrest, release, and a missed court date before Saturday’s attack.
Best first blocked a White House entry lane in June 2025, telling agents he was Jesus Christ and wanted to be arrested. He tried again in July 2025, when authorities arrested him for unlawfully entering a federally controlled property in Washington. Court records show he was ordered to stay away, then released after arraignment. When he failed to appear for an Aug. 7, 2025 status hearing, a D.C.-only no-bond bench warrant was issued.
That history is now under renewed scrutiny after Saturday’s shooting, which happened shortly after 6 p.m. near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, close to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. According to law enforcement sources cited by CBS News, a male approached a U.S. Secret Service checkpoint, pulled a revolver from a messenger bag and opened fire. Approximately 15 to 30 gunshots were fired.
Secret Service officers returned fire and killed Best. He later died at a hospital. A bystander was wounded and remained hospitalized in serious but stable condition after surgery. President Donald Trump was inside the White House during the incident and was not hurt.
The Metropolitan Police Department is leading the use-of-force investigation, a standard step in Washington when Secret Service personnel open fire. The episode is likely to intensify questions about how Best was assessed after his earlier encounters, whether his prior behavior was tracked closely enough, and what perimeter and threat-screening protocols failed to stop him from reaching the checkpoint on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Trump thanked the Secret Service on Truth Social and said the suspect had a violent history and an obsession with the White House. For investigators, the more urgent question is how a man who had already tried to get inside the White House, been arrested, and missed a required hearing was able to return to the complex and trigger another shooting at the gates of the executive mansion.
Know something we missed? Have a correction or additional information?
Submit a Tip
