Secret Service shoots man near White House
Trump briefly removed from news conference
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump was abruptly removed from the briefing room on Monday during a news conference because of a shooting about a block away from the White House.
The president was in the middle of his opening statement when an aide who appeared to be a member of the Secret Service came to his side and escorted him off the podium. Trump returned to the room after a few moments and reported that there had been a shooting.
“It was law enforcement shot someone, it seems to be the suspect. And the suspect is now on the way to the hospital,” Trump said.
Secret Service shot the suspect outside the fence, near the White House, he said. Washington officials said that first responders took a man with a gunshot wound to an area hospital. The person was in serious, if not critical, condition.
“You were surprised, I was surprised also,” Trump said.
Trump said he was taken to the Oval Office. He told reporters that he wasn’t aware of the reason for the shooting, which took place on 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.
“It might not have had anything to do with me,” Trump said. “It might have been something else.”
Asked if he was rattled, Trump responded, “Do I seem rattled?”
Lock downs at the White House are relatively common and can happen for nearby shooters, breaches of the perimeter and even bags abandoned nearby. But it is rare when the president is on stage and extremely rare for the president to be removed by Secret Service in the middle of remarks.
Trump professed little worry about his own safety. “The world has always been a dangerous place,” he said. “That’s not something that’s unique.”