Gunfire was reported near the White House on Saturday evening, according to the director of the F.B.I. and a witness.
The director, Kash Patel, said on social media that the F.B.I. was on the scene “and supporting Secret Service responding to shots fired near White House grounds.”
Allison Robbert, a photographer for The New York Times, said that about 20 to 30 gunshots were heard from the north lawn of the White House.
“Journalists heard it from outside the press room and were ushered inside by Secret Service,” she said in a text message.
It was not immediately clear what had led up to the gunfire or where exactly it had happened.
Selina Wang, a senior White House correspondent for ABC News, posted a video on social media of her recording a report when what sounds like gunfire can be heard in the background.
She is about three seconds into the recording when the noises are heard, and she heads to the floor for cover.
“I was in the middle of taping on my iPhone for a social video from the White House North Lawn when we heard the shots,” she wrote on X. “It sounded like dozens of gunshots. We were told to sprint to the press briefing room where we are holding now.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
