The man who died after exchanging gunfire with the U.S. Secret Service near the White House on Saturday had been arrested at the complex twice before in 2025 and was ordered to stay away.
The U.S. Secret Service said 21-year-old Nasire Best approached a checkpoint shortly after 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, “removed a weapon from his bag and began firing at posted officers.”
Officers returned fire and hit the suspect, who was transported to an area hospital, where he later died, according to the Secret Service.
A bystander was struck, but a law enforcement official said it wasn’t clear whether that person was struck by the suspect’s initial bullets or those fired subsequently by officers.
Court records filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington show Best was known for walking around the White House complex and asking for ways to get inside.
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In June 2025, he was arrested for trying to block a vehicle entry point.
A month later, he returned and ignored verbal commands not to try to enter a restricted area. An affidavit filed by the Secret Service says Best claimed he was Jesus and said he wanted to be arrested.
The next day, a judge issued a “stay away” order requiring Best not to come within blocks of the White House.
He failed to show up for an August 2025 hearing in federal court, leading a judge to issue a warrant for his arrest on a misdemeanor charge of unlawful entry of private property.
