The U.S. Secret Service evacuated President Donald Trump out of a press briefing on Monday afternoon after gunshots were reportedly fired outside of the White House.
Fox News correspondent John Roberts reported shots were fired at 17th and Pennsylvania, which is right outside of the White House.
“This was not initiated by the Secret Service,” Roberts said. “These shots came from somewhere else and apparently now the Secret Service is rendering aid to someone who was hit.”
WATCH:
BREAKING: President Trump was just whisked out of the press briefing room by a Secret Service Agent in the middle of his news conference. pic.twitter.com/hrbKZNlaCH
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) August 10, 2020
#BREAKING: @JohnRobertsFox says someone was shot at 17th and Pennsylvania, which is right at the start of the White House complex. At that intersection is the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (known as the EOB) pic.twitter.com/vt5j2BNUBU
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) August 10, 2020
Several minutes later the president returned to the press briefing and said that law enforcement were the ones who fired at the suspect.
“There was an actual shooting and somebody’s been taken to the hospital,” Trump said. “It was the suspect who was shot.”
The Secret Service said in a statement: “The Secret Service can confirm there has been an officer involved shooting at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Ave. Law enforcement officials are on the scene. More information to follow.”
The Secret Service can confirm there has been an officer involved shooting at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Ave. Law enforcement officials are on the scene. More information to follow.
— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) August 10, 2020
Las Vegas Review-Journal White House Correspondent Debra Saunders noted Trump’s demeanor upon returning to the briefing, tweeting, “Credit where it is due. @realDonaldTrump is bringing calm to the turmoil.”
Credit where it is due. @realDonaldTrump is bringing calm to the turmoil.
— Debra J. Saunders (@debrajsaunders) August 10, 2020
When asked by a reporter if he was “rattled by this at all,” Trump responded, “Do I seem rattled? It’s unfortunate that this is … the world has always been a dangerous place. It’s not something that’s not unique. The world has been, you look back over the centuries, the world has been a dangerous place, a very a dangerous place.”
After the Secret Service interrupted President Trump's press briefing, a reporter asked "Are you rattled by this at all, Mr. President?"
President Trump: "Do I seem rattled?" pic.twitter.com/8comMHGO93
— Trump War Room – Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) August 10, 2020
This story has been updated to include additional information.