US president Donald Trump abruptly stopped a White House press conference on Monday after speaking for two minutes due to a shooting that reportedly took place at a nearby park.
Two minutes into the press conference, a Secret Service agent interrupted Trump and led him out of the room.
Reporters in the briefing room said that the White House was placed on lockdown after Trump left the room.
The president returned to the press briefing room about 6pm local time and told reporters that a shooting had taken place outside of the White House. When asked if he was taken down to the White House bunker, Trump said he was taken to the Oval Office.
“It was a shooting outside of the White House,” Trump told reporters, according to a press pool report. “I’d like to thank the Secret Service for doing their always quick and very effective work.”
“It was outside of the White House. Somebody was taken to the hospital. It was the suspect who was shot,” the president said, adding that the Secret Service fired at someone.
The Secret Service later confirmed that there was an officer-involved shooting near the White House at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, about a block from the White House grounds.
The Secret Service said the shooting involved a “male subject” and Secret Service officer, who were both taken to a hospital.
It is unclear what the threat was, but Trump told reporters that, “from what I understand”, the person shot was armed.
Trump also said that the incident “might not have had anything to do with me.”
The Secret Service said that none of their “protectees” were in danger at any point during the incident.
“Seems that the person was shot by the Secret Service. It’s unfortunate that this is the world, but the world has always been a dangerous place,” Trump said.
Law enforcement officials told NBC News that a Secret Service officer shot at a man in Lafayette Park. The man was reportedly shot in the chest and taken to the George Washington University hospital.
“You were surprised. I was surprised,” Trump said after he returned to the briefing room. “I think it’s probably pretty unusual.”