The White House was briefly placed on lockdown Monday morning after a vehicle crashed into Lafayette Square Park, just north of the executive mansion. The US Secret Service instructed reporters to shelter inside the building around 10 a.m. ET.
Video circulating on social media showed the suspect's car colliding with a sign in the park. The driver then exited the vehicle and reportedly clashed with Secret Service agents and National Guard soldiers who responded to the scene. It remains unclear if the crash was accidental or intentional.
President Donald Trump was reportedly inside the White House at the time of the incident.
Around 10:30 a.m. ET, the lockdown was lifted, and members of the White House press corps were permitted to leave the West Wing. The incident follows several security-related events near the White House in recent months.
Last week, authorities apprehended a Venezuelan national near the White House who was allegedly in possession of multiple firearms and had made threats against the president. The individual was found to have stolen the vehicle, which contained a rifle and numerous rounds of ammunition. In May, Nasire Best, 21, was killed by Secret Service after opening fire outside the White House.
