Statement from Congressman Adam Smith on Tonight's Shooting Near the White House
May 23, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA) released the following statement:
"Tonight, a gunman opened fire on a Secret Service security booth outside the White House. Secret Service returned fire, killing the suspect, while a bystander was also struck. The President was thankfully unharmed, and this investigation is ongoing.
"This is not an isolated incident. In the last 30 days alone, there have been three shootings in and around the White House. On April 25th, a gunman opened fire outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner. On May 4th, another gunman fired near the Washington Monument and was shot by Secret Service. Tonight is the third.
"Let me be clear — what we are witnessing is a pattern of violence directed at the President and at members of the press simply for doing their jobs. Tonight, journalists were once again forced to shelter in place. That is unacceptable. Make no mistake, we have a responsibility to confront this threat, and I am committed to working with my colleagues across the aisle to do exactly that."
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