A man accused of shooting at law enforcement officers near the Washington Monument this week made a vulgar remark about the White House after the incident, according to the top federal prosecutor in the nation’s capital.
The suspect is expected to face charges of assaulting a federal officer and discharging a firearm during a violent crime, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a Tuesday night interview with ABC News.
Pirro added that the suspect, who was shot several times during Monday’s confrontation, made the remarks while being transported to the hospital, reportedly shouting, “F the White House” and “Kill me, kill me, kill me” three times.
A teenage bystander who was also shot but not seriously injured has since been released from the hospital, ABC reported. Authorities have not yet indicated whether they believe the suspect was targeting a specific individual or location.
During a news conference Monday, Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn said plainclothes agents spotted the man near the White House complex and saw the imprint of a weapon on him. The agents followed him briefly and contacted uniformed officers.
The suspect tried to flee when Secret Service officers approached him, Quinn said. He said the man fired at the officers before they returned fire.
Around the time of the shooting, President Donald Trump was holding a small business event at the White House, which was briefly locked down as authorities investigated.
Quinn told reporters he did not know whether the incident was directed at Trump “but we will find out.”
It came just over a week after a California man tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner while armed with guns and knives. Cole Tomas Allen has been charged in that incident with attempting to assassinate the president and firing a gun at a Secret Service officer.
