The White House was put on lockdown on Saturday after a man shot and killed himself.
The US Secret Service said on Twitter shortly after 5pm that its personnel were responding to reports a person had suffered a “self-inflicted gun shot wound”.
A statement later issued by the Secret Service said: “At approximately 11:46 AM, a white male suffered a self-inflicted gun-shot wound to the head outside the North White House fence line. The subject is deceased.
“The subject approached the vicinity of the North White House fence line and removed a concealed handgun and fired several rounds, none of which appear at this time to have been directed towards the White House.
“The President and First Lady were not in the White House at the time of the incident.”
US President Donald Trump was at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida at the time.
Pedestrian and vehicle traffic around the White House was blocked off by police, which is routine in such incidents, Reuters reported.
The Secret Service later said there were “no other reported injuries” and that medics were treating an unidentified male victim.
The man’s name has not been released.