Officers from the Secret Service and D.C. Metropolitan Police returned fire after a man pulled a weapon at a security perimeter on Pennsylvania Avenue. The suspect died at hospital. No White House staff or law enforcement personnel were hurt.

Law enforcement maintained a heavy presence on Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. for several hours following the incident. FBI, Secret Service, and D.C. Metropolitan Police were all on scene. [Photo: AP / Reuters — use wire photo, not crime scene imagery]

It was over in seconds — but the questions it raises will take considerably longer to answer. Just after 6:00 p.m., a man walked up to a White House security checkpoint at 17th and Pennsylvania Avenue, reached into a bag, and opened fire on officers. Secret Service agents and D.C. police returned fire. The suspect was hit, transported to a nearby hospital, and later pronounced dead.

No members of the Secret Service, D.C. Metropolitan Police, or any White House personnel were injured. But one other person was. A bystander in the area — Pennsylvania Avenue is one of Washington’s busiest corridors, lined with hotels, restaurants, and government buildings — was struck by gunfire during the incident. As of the initial White House press statement, investigators had not yet determined whether that person was hit by the suspect’s shots or by gunfire during the return exchange. That distinction is now a central focus of the investigation.

CONFIRMED FACTS — AS OF INITIAL WHITE HOUSE STATEMENT

TimeShortly after 6:00 p.m.

LocationWhite House checkpoint, 17th St. & Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington D.C.